The OR function in Google Sheets is a powerful logical operator used to evaluate multiple conditions. It returns true if any of the supplied arguments evaluate to true, making it an essential tool for decision-making and data analysis within your spreadsheets.

Syntax

OR(logical1, [logical2, ...])

• logical1: The first condition or expression that you want to evaluate.
• logical2: Optional. Additional conditions or expressions to evaluate; you can include multiple logical arguments.

Example #1

OR(A1 > 10, B1 < 5)

In this example, if cell A1 contains a value greater than 10 or cell B1 contains a value less than 5, the function returns true. For instance, if A1 = 15 and B1 = 3, the result would be true.

Example #2

OR(C1 = "Yes", D1 = "Maybe")

This function checks if cell C1 contains "Yes" or D1 contains "Maybe". For example, if C1 = "No" and D1 = "Maybe", the result would be true.

Example #3

OR(E1 = 0, F1 = 0, G1 = 0)

Here, the function evaluates if any of the cells E1, F1, or G1 contain zero. If E1 = 2, F1 = 0, and G1 = 5, the result will be true because F1 is zero.

Error handling

• VALUE!: This error occurs when non-logical values are provided to the function, making it impossible to evaluate the conditions.
• N/A: This error indicates that the function encountered an invalid argument or cell reference.

Conclusion

Utilizing the OR function in Google Sheets can significantly enhance your ability to process logical evaluations in your data. By knowing how to effectively apply this function, you can streamline analyses and make more informed decisions within your spreadsheets.