What does the COUNT function do in Excel?

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The COUNT function in Excel is a built-in function that counts the number of cells in a selected range that contain numerical values. It does not count cells that contain text, errors, or are blank. By using the COUNT function, you can quickly get a count of the total number of data points in a range.

To use the COUNT function in Excel, follow these steps:

1. Select the cell where you want the result to appear.
2. Type the equal sign (=) to begin the formula.
3. Type "COUNT(" or "COUNTA(" followed by the range of cells inside parentheses. For example, COUNT(A1:A10) or COUNTA(A1:A10,B1:B10).
- If you use COUNT, only cells with numerical values will be counted.
- If you use COUNTA, cells with any type of value (including text) will be counted.
4. Close the parentheses and press Enter to complete the formula.

The result will be the count of cells with numerical values or any type of values depending on whether you used COUNT or COUNTA respectively.

Keep in mind that the COUNT function in Excel treats empty cells as zero values and includes them in the count. So, if you want to exclude empty cells, you can use the COUNTA function instead.