What is a named range and how does it affect readability of formulas?

What is a named range and how does it affect readability of formulas?

• A. A named range assigns a friendly name to a cell or range.
• B. A named range locks cells from editing.
• C. A named range increases calculations time dramatically.
• D. A named range changes the data type of cells.

Answer: (A)

A named range assigns a friendly name to a cell or range, and that label is used in formulas instead of standard cell references. This makes formulas much easier to read and understand at a glance because the name conveys what the data represents (for example, using SalesTotal instead of B2:B20). It also helps with maintenance and collaboration: when you use a descriptive name, it's clearer what the formula is calculating, and you can update the underlying range in one place if it changes, reducing errors. The other options don’t fit. Naming doesn’t lock cells (that’s sheet protection), it doesn’t inherently affect calculation speed in a meaningful way, and it doesn’t change the data type of the cells.

A named range assigns a friendly name to a cell or range, and that label is used in formulas instead of standard cell references. This makes formulas much easier to read and understand at a glance because the name conveys what the data represents (for example, using SalesTotal instead of B2:B20). It also helps with maintenance and collaboration: when you use a descriptive name, it's clearer what the formula is calculating, and you can update the underlying range in one place if it changes, reducing errors.

The other options don’t fit. Naming doesn’t lock cells (that’s sheet protection), it doesn’t inherently affect calculation speed in a meaningful way, and it doesn’t change the data type of the cells.