IF function in Excel Part 1

The IF statement is excel is very useful, but can become a little complicated. The following explanation will explain how to easily and properly use this function.

Overview

The IF function answers the question, “Is this true or false. There a three basic arguments used in the function.

1. Logical Test – Does Batter “A” or Batter “B” have a higher average.
2. Value if true – What is displayed if the value is true.
3. Value if false – What is displayed if the value is false.

Execution

The following example will show you how to determine which baseball player has a higher batting average.

Start by using the following fuction.

=IF(B3>C3,”John”,”Andrew”)

You can copy/drag the formula down to display the results. I’m going to assume you know how to copy a formula. If you don’t, click and hold the little fill handle that appears in the bottom right corner of the cell. You are then able to drag the formula down. You can also refer to the Auto-Fill Tutorial.

There are numerous variations to using IF statements. If you have any difficulties with any statement or function, please feel free to ask.