How can a beginner in PHP effectively use the SUM() function to calculate totals?

To calculate totals using the SUM() function in PHP, a beginner can utilize the function along with an array of values that need to be summed. By passing the array as an argument to the SUM() function, PHP will add up all the values in the array and return the total. This is a simple and effective way for beginners to calculate totals in PHP.

$values = [10, 20, 30, 40, 50];
$total = array_sum($values);

echo "The total is: " . $total;