Chapter 5 :Programming for Everybody (Getting Started with Python) (Python for Everybody Specialization) Answers 2025

Question 1

What is wrong with this Python loop:

❌ This loop will run forever
✅ The print('All done') statement should be indented four spaces
❌ There should be no colon on the while statement
❌ while is not a Python reserved word

Explanation:
The code as shown does not change n inside the loop, so n > 0 stays true and the loop never terminates → infinite loop. (Indenting print('All done') would only change when that line executes; the core bug is the missing decrement, causing an endless loop.)

Question 2

What does the break statement do?

✅ Exits the currently executing loop
❌ Resets the iteration variable to its initial value
❌ Exits the program
❌ Jumps to the “top” of the loop and starts the next iteration

Explanation:
break immediately terminates the innermost loop and execution continues with the first statement after that loop.

Question 3

What does the continue statement do?

❌ Exits the program
❌ Resets the iteration variable to its initial value
✅ Jumps to the “top” of the loop and starts the next iteration
❌ Exits the currently executing loop

Explanation:
continue skips the rest of the current loop iteration and starts the next iteration of that same loop.

Question 4

What does this program print out?

❌ 10
❌ 0
❌ 15
✅ 5

Explanation:
The loop runs once for each element (5 elements). Each iteration increments tot by 1 → final tot is 5.

Question 5

What is the iteration variable in the code:

✅ friend
❌ Glenn
❌ Sally
❌ friends

Explanation:
In for friend in friends:, friend is the iteration variable that takes each element of the list in turn.

Question 6

Good description of this code:

❌ Find the largest item in a list
✅ Sum all the elements of a list
❌ Count all of the elements in a list
❌ Find the smallest item in a list

Explanation:
zork accumulates (+=) each thing → final value is the sum of the list.

Question 7

What will this code print out?

✅ -1
❌ 74
❌ 42
❌ 3

Explanation:
smallest_so_far starts at -1. No list element is < -1, so it never changes and -1 is printed. (This demonstrates a logic bug if the intent was to find the minimum.)

Question 8

What is a good statement to describe the is operator as used here:

✅ matches both type and value
❌ Is true if the smallest variable has a value of -1
❌ The if statement is a syntax error
❌ Looks up ‘None’ in the smallest variable if it is a string

Explanation:
is tests identity (often described as matching the same object). For None the correct idiom is x is None. (This option is the closest correct description among those given — is confirms the object is the same singleton None.)

Question 9

Which reserved word indicates the start of an “indefinite” loop in Python?

❌ for
✅ while
❌ def
❌ break
❌ indef

Explanation:
while starts a loop that continues until its condition becomes false — an indefinite loop controlled by a boolean condition.

Question 10

How many times will the body of this loop be executed?

✅ 0
❌ 1
❌ This is an infinite loop
❌ 5

Explanation:
The condition n > 0 is false at the start (n = 0), so the loop body runs 0 times; only print('Dry off!') executes.

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