Final answer:
ARP (Address Resolution Protocol) maps IP addresses to MAC addresses on a network.
Step-by-step explanation:
The function of ARP (Address Resolution Protocol) is to map an IP address to a physical or MAC address on a network. It is used to find the MAC address of a device when only the IP address is known. ARP operates at the data link layer of the TCP/IP network stack.
For example, when a device wants to send data to another device on the same network, it needs to know the MAC address of the recipient. It sends an ARP request to the network, asking for the MAC address associated with the IP address it wants to communicate with. The device with that IP address responds with an ARP reply, providing its MAC address.