Which protocol is responsible for resolving IP addresses to MAC addresses in a local network?

The Address Resolution Protocol (ARP) is responsible for mapping IP addresses to physical MAC (Media Access Control) addresses in a local area network. When a device wants to communicate with another device on the same network, it uses ARP to find the recipient's MAC address by broadcasting an ARP request. The device with the matching IP address responds with its MAC address. This enables devices to communicate on an Ethernet network, which relies on MAC addresses to forward frames. Option A (DHCP) is incorrect because the Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP) assigns IP addresses dynamically to devices on a network but does not resolve IP to MAC addresses. Option B (DNS) is incorrect as DNS (Domain Name System) resolves domain names to IP addresses, not MAC addresses. Option D (ICMP) is incorrect because the Internet Control Message Protocol (ICMP) is used for diagnostic purposes like network error reporting and does not deal with address resolution. Option E (FTP) is incorrect as File Transfer Protocol (FTP) is used for file transfers over a network, not for address resolution.