What is the term for a branch in a conditional statement that executes when the initial condition is false?

The correct term for a branch in a conditional statement that executes when the initial condition is false is known as "Else." In programming, an "else" statement is part of a conditional structure that provides an alternative set of instructions to run when the condition evaluated in an "if" statement is not met.

When a programmer writes an if-else statement, the code checks the condition specified in the if clause first. If that condition evaluates to true, the code block associated with the if statement runs. However, if the condition is false, the program then evaluates the else block, executing the code contained within it. This allows for a clear and logical flow of control in code, enabling alternative actions based on the truth value of certain conditions.

Other terms in the choices serve different purposes within control structures. The "If" statement is the initial condition being evaluated; "Else If" allows for additional condition checks if the first condition is false but does not run when the first condition is true. A "Switch" statement is used for multiple discrete values of a single variable, allowing different code blocks to run based on various matching values rather than a true/false evaluation. Thus, in the context of conditional statements, "else" is the correct term