Programming Basics and Problem Solving

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Questions and Answers

Which of the following is a valid Python variable name?

air_speed (correct)

class

2much

the cost

What is the output of the following code? `a = 5; b = 10; a = b; print(a)`

Error

10 (correct)

None

Which of the following characters is not allowed in a Python variable name?

@ (correct)

Which statement correctly describes Python variable naming conventions?

Variables are case sensitive. Signup and view all the answers

What will happen if the variable name 'def' is used in a Python program?

It will result in a syntax error. Signup and view all the answers

What will be the value of x after executing the code: x=3, y=5, z=6, x = y + z + x?

14 Signup and view all the answers

What is the result of the operation cost * vat if cost is 10 and vat is 17.5?

175 Signup and view all the answers

How would you properly swap the values of variables a and b in Python?

a, b = b, a Signup and view all the answers

What value will be stored in variable c after executing c = a**b when a=2 and b=3?

8 Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following statements correctly assigns a value to a variable in Python?

a = 'Hello' Signup and view all the answers

What will be the new value of factor after executing factor = 7, factor = factor * 3, factor = factor + cost, and cost is 5?

26 Signup and view all the answers

What happens when the following code is executed? `n = 7; n = n + 1`

n becomes 8 Signup and view all the answers

What will the operation num_1 / num_2 result in if num_1 = 21 and num_2 = 10?

2.2 Signup and view all the answers

What operation is performed by the modulus operator (%) and what is the result of 16 % 5?

Returns the remainder, result is 1 Signup and view all the answers

If a program attempts to execute an operation that involves division by zero, what will occur?

The program will terminate and produce an error Signup and view all the answers

What is the purpose of comments in a Python program?

To provide documentation on what the code does Signup and view all the answers

What is a key aspect of problem solving in programming?

Formulating problems and thinking creatively about solutions Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following best describes a program?

A sequence of instructions that performs a computation Signup and view all the answers

What type of variable is represented by 'Hello World!'?

String Signup and view all the answers

How does Python differentiate between integers and floating-point numbers?

By the presence or absence of a decimal point Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following represents a boolean variable in Python?

True Signup and view all the answers

What is considered a subtask within the programming process?

Breaking down a complex task into smaller components Signup and view all the answers

What is the main purpose of using comments in a program?

Providing explanations and clarity to the code Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following best describes the arithmetic operators?

Tools for performing basic mathematical operations Signup and view all the answers

What will be the value of num_4 if num_1 is 15 and num_2 is 2 using integer division?

8 Signup and view all the answers

What will the value of item3 be if item1 is set to 4 and item2 is set to 6?

10 Signup and view all the answers

What is the result of the expression 2**1 + 1 using the order of operations?

3 Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following expressions correctly follows Python's order of operations?

6 + 4 / 2 Signup and view all the answers

What is the output of the following code: 'throat' + 'warbler'?

'throatwarbler' Signup and view all the answers

If the variable meal cost is set to 56, what will be the tip calculated by multiplying by 1/10?

5.6 Signup and view all the answers

What does 16 - 2 * 5 // 3 + 1 evaluate to using the order of operations?

13 Signup and view all the answers

Which statement is true about string operations in Python?

Concatenation is done with the + operator. Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following is a valid way to use single quotes in a string?

'She said "Hi!"' Signup and view all the answers

What will be the output of the following code: print('Hello', 'World', end=' ')

Hello World Signup and view all the answers

How can you include a single quote inside a single-quoted string?

By escaping it with a backslash Signup and view all the answers

Which escape sequence correctly represents a newline in a string?

Signup and view all the answers

What is the correct usage of the print() function to concatenate strings?

print('Hello' + str(5)) Signup and view all the answers

If you want to print three items without additional spaces between them, which of the following is correct?

print('A', 'B', 'C', sep='') Signup and view all the answers

What would the output be for the code: print('This is one line. Another line.')?

This is one line. Another line. Signup and view all the answers

In Python, what is meant by saying that it is case sensitive?

Identifiers such as function and variable names must match in case. Signup and view all the answers

Study Notes

Problem Solving & Programs

Problem solving: The ability to identify problems, creatively think of solutions, and express those solutions clearly and accurately.
Program: A set of instructions that explain how to perform a computation.
Programming: Breaking down a complex task into smaller, manageable subtasks until they are simple enough to be executed using basic instructions.
Basic Program Instructions:
- input: Get data from sources like the keyboard, files, or databases.
- output: Display results on the screen, save to files or databases.
- math: Perform mathematical calculations.
- conditional execution: Check for specific conditions and execute corresponding code based on the outcome.
- repetition: Repeat a specific action multiple times.

Values and Types

Values represent data used in programs.
Data types:
- Integer: Whole numbers (e.g., 4, 99, 0, -99).
- Floating-point number: Numbers with decimal points (e.g., 3.5, 42.1).
- String: Sequences of characters enclosed in single or double quotes (e.g., 'Hello World!').
- Boolean variable: Represents truth values, either True or False.
Python automatically determines the data type based on the presence or absence of a decimal point.

Variables

Variable: A name assigned to a value for later access or modification. Descriptive names are important for readability.
Variable Naming Rules:
- Must start with a letter (a-z, A-Z) or an underscore (_).
- Can contain letters, numbers, or underscores.
- Case sensitive (e.g., case_sensitive, CASE_SENSITIVE, Case_Sensitive are distinct).
- Cannot include spaces, but underscores can be used to separate words.
- Cannot be Python reserved keywords ('False', 'None', 'True', 'and', etc.).

Assignment Statements

Assignment statement: Creates a variable and assigns a value to it. Example: message = "Something completely different", n = 17, pi = 3.141592653589793.
Value stored in a variable can be modified with subsequent assignment statements. Example: n = 6 overwrites the previous value of n.

Arithmetic Operators

Operator: Symbols used to perform arithmetic operations.
Common Operators:
- +: Addition.
- -: Subtraction.
- *: Multiplication.
- /: Division.
- %: Modulus (returns the remainder of a division).
- **: Exponent (raises the first operand to the power of the second operand).
- //: Floor division (returns the largest integer less than or equal to the result of division).
Division by zero results in program termination or errors.

Program Comments

Comment: Explanatory text added to code for documentation.
Python uses # symbol for comments: Everything from the # to the end of the line is ignored by the interpreter.
Comments can be on a separate line or inline.
Useful for explaining non-obvious code sections.

Order of Operations

PEMDAS: Acronym for Parentheses, Exponents, Multiplication and Division (from left to right), Addition and Subtraction (from left to right). This order defines how expressions involving multiple operators are evaluated.
Parentheses have the highest precedence, forcing evaluation in the desired order.
Exponents have the next highest precedence.
Multiplication and Division have higher precedence than Addition and Subtraction.

Introduction to Strings

String: A sequence of characters.
Enclose strings using single (') or double (") quotes.

String Operations

String concatenation: Joining strings using the + operator. Example: first = 'throat', second = 'warbler', third = first + second results in third having the value throatwarbler.
String repetition: Repeating a string using the * operator. Example: 'Spam' * 3 results in SpamSpamSpam.
Generally, mathematical operations cannot be performed directly on strings.

Built-in Functions

Function: A reusable block of code that performs a specific task.
print() function: Displays output on the screen.
Calling functions: Use the function name followed by parentheses, potentially with input arguments. Example: print(), print('Hello'), print(42), print(greeting).
Multiple arguments in print() function: Print multiple values separated by commas, resulting in output with spaces in between.
end=' ' argument in print() function: Suppresses the default newline (line break) after printing.

Lecture Self-Check Question

The question to be answered is: "Where's the lecture room?"
The answer is not provided in the lecture notes.

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Description

This quiz covers fundamental concepts in programming and problem solving. You will explore topics such as data types, program instructions, and the process of breaking down complex tasks into simpler subtasks. Test your knowledge and enhance your understanding of how to create effective programs.