What does a selector in a style sheet do?

A selector in a style sheet is fundamentally responsible for identifying which HTML elements will have specific styles applied to them. By using selectors, developers can target elements based on their tag name, class, ID, attributes, and other characteristics. This targeting allows for precise control over how the web page appears by associating styles (such as colors, fonts, sizes, etc.) with those elements.

For example, if a developer wants to apply a certain text color to all paragraph elements in a document, they would use a selector to specify that they are referencing paragraph tags. This focused approach ensures that the intended styles only affect targeted elements, enhancing both the visual design and maintainability of the web page. Understanding how selectors work is crucial for effectively using CSS to create dynamic and visually appealing web designs.