What does the VLOOKUP function do in Excel?

The VLOOKUP function in Excel is designed to search for a specific value in the first column of a specified table range and return a corresponding value from another column in that same row. It is particularly useful when you need to find information related to a certain key value, like looking up a product's price based on its ID or finding a person's name based on their identification number. The function operates by taking four arguments: the value you want to look up, the range of the table containing the data, the column index number that indicates which column's value you want to return, and an optional argument to specify whether you want an approximate or exact match.

The other options pertain to different types of functions or capabilities in Excel. The variance calculation is related to statistical functions, counting distinct entries involves data analysis tools, and summarizing data from various worksheets refers to functionalities outside of VLOOKUP's primary use. Understanding these distinctions helps clarify the specific purpose of the VLOOKUP function.