Conditional Statements
Enroll to start learning
You’ve not yet enrolled in this course. Please enroll for free to listen to audio lessons, classroom podcasts and take practice test.
Interactive Audio Lesson
Listen to a student-teacher conversation explaining the topic in a relatable way.
Introduction to Conditional Statements
🔒 Unlock Audio Lesson
Sign up and enroll to listen to this audio lesson
Today we're going to learn about conditional statements in Python. These are essential as they allow our programs to make decisions based on certain conditions. For instance, we can check if someone is eligible to vote based on their age.
So, does that mean we can use 'if' statements to check conditions?
Exactly! The 'if' statement evaluates a condition, and if that condition is true, it executes a block of code.
What happens if the condition is false?
Good question! If the condition is false, we can use the 'else' statement to run a different block of code.
Using 'if' and 'else'
🔒 Unlock Audio Lesson
Sign up and enroll to listen to this audio lesson
Let’s write a simple program to check voting eligibility. Suppose we have a variable, 'age'. We can say: if age >= 18, print 'Eligible to vote'. Otherwise, we print 'Not eligible'.
Could you show us how that looks in Python?
"Certainly! Here's the code:
The 'elif' Statement
🔒 Unlock Audio Lesson
Sign up and enroll to listen to this audio lesson
The 'elif' keyword stands for 'else if', which allows us to check multiple conditions. For example: if age < 13, print 'Child', elif age < 18, print 'Teenager'.
Can you show us how that looks in code?
"Absolutely! Here’s how it would look:
Practical Examples and Applications
🔒 Unlock Audio Lesson
Sign up and enroll to listen to this audio lesson
Let's discuss some real applications. Conditional statements are used in games to determine the actions of characters, in user inputs for forms, and in algorithms that adapt to user choices.
Can we use conditions to control our digital devices too?
Absolutely! For example, smart home devices use conditional logic to function based on temperature or time of day.
It really seems that conditional statements are everywhere in programming!
Yes, mastering this concept is crucial for any programmer. Remember: the key to control flow in your code is understanding conditional statements.
Introduction & Overview
Read summaries of the section's main ideas at different levels of detail.
Quick Overview
Standard
Conditional statements form a fundamental concept in programming, allowing the flow of execution to change based on specified conditions. This section explains the use of 'if', 'else', and 'elif' statements in Python with examples and practical applications.
Detailed
Conditional statements in Python are essential for controlling the flow of a program by evaluating whether a condition is true or false. The primary keyword for conditional logic is 'if', which checks a specific condition, followed by an 'else' block for alternative actions if the condition is false. Additionally, the 'elif' keyword allows for multiple conditions to be checked in sequence. For example, in a voting eligibility check, the program can determine if a person is eligible to vote based on their age using these statements. Understanding and utilizing conditional statements is crucial in programming, as it enables creating dynamic and interactive applications.
Youtube Videos
Audio Book
Dive deep into the subject with an immersive audiobook experience.
Introduction to Conditional Statements
Chapter 1 of 2
🔒 Unlock Audio Chapter
Sign up and enroll to access the full audio experience
Chapter Content
Conditional statements are used to make decisions in code.
Detailed Explanation
Conditional statements allow the programmer to execute certain sections of code only when specific conditions are met. They help in controlling the flow of the program. In simple terms, they are like questions that your program asks to determine what to do next. For example, a conditional statement can check if a person is eligible to vote based on their age.
Examples & Analogies
Imagine deciding whether to go outside based on the weather. You might say, 'If it is sunny, I'll go for a walk; otherwise, I'll stay inside.' This is similar to how conditional statements work in programming.
Basic Structure of Conditional Statements
Chapter 2 of 2
🔒 Unlock Audio Chapter
Sign up and enroll to access the full audio experience
Chapter Content
if age >= 18:
print("Eligible to vote")
else:
print("Not eligible")
Detailed Explanation
In Python, a conditional statement starts with the keyword 'if', followed by a condition (age >= 18 in this case). If this condition evaluates to true, the block of code indented underneath will run, which will print 'Eligible to vote'. If the condition is false, the 'else' block will execute instead, printing 'Not eligible'. The indentation is very important in Python, as it defines the scope of the condition.
Examples & Analogies
Think of a classroom scenario where a teacher checks if students have completed their homework. The teacher might say, 'If the homework is complete, you may play a game; otherwise, you will stay in and finish your work.' Here, the condition (homework completed) controls what the students can do.
Key Concepts
-
Conditional Statements: The backbone of decision making in programming, allowing for different actions based on conditions.
-
if statement: The primary structure used to evaluate conditions.
-
else statement: The alternative action taken when the if condition is not met.
-
elif statement: Provides a way to chain multiple conditions.
Examples & Applications
Example: if age >= 18: print('Eligible to vote') else: print('Not eligible')
Example: if temperature > 30: print('It's a hot day') elif temperature < 10: print('It's a cold day') else: print('It's a pleasant day')
Memory Aids
Interactive tools to help you remember key concepts
Rhymes
If the age is right, vote with delight. If not, it’s a no, that’s how we flow.
Stories
Once there was a girl who wanted to vote. She asked her age. If the age was 18, she was filled with glee; if not, she knew she had to wait.
Memory Tools
Remember 'IE' for if and else to think about conditions first!
Acronyms
CIE - Conditions initiate execution.
Flash Cards
Glossary
- Conditional Statement
A statement in programming that executes different code based on whether a condition evaluates to true or false.
- if statement
A control structure that allows the execution of a block of code if a specified condition is met.
- else statement
Follows an 'if' statement and defines a block of code that executes when the condition in the 'if' statement is false.
- elif statement
'Else if', allowing multiple conditions to be checked in sequence.
Reference links
Supplementary resources to enhance your learning experience.