Final answer:
A router references its routing table to decide where to send an incoming IP packet. The routing table contains paths to network destinations, helping the router forward the packet properly.
Step-by-step explanation:
When a router receives an IP packet, it checks the destination IP address and then references its routing table before making a decision on where to send the packet. The routing table contains information about the paths to various network destinations, and it allows the router to determine the best path for the incoming packet. It is essentially a map for the router that lists which way to forward packets based on their IP address. After checking the routing table, the router forwards the packet to the next hop on its path to the destination.