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Operators

Operators perform operations on variables and values: arithmetic, comparison, logical, assignment, and more.

Python Operators

Operators are symbols that perform operations on operands (values/variables).

Arithmetic Operators

+, -, *, /, //, %, **

Comparison Operators

==, !=, >, <, >=, <=

Logical Operators

and, or, not

Assignment Operators

=, +=, -=, *=, /=, //=, **=, %=

Identity & Membership

is, is not, in, not in

Syntax

<pre><code># Arithmetic
print(10 + 3)   # 13
print(10 - 3)   # 7
print(10 * 3)   # 30
print(10 / 3)   # 3.333... (float division)
print(10 // 3)  # 3 (integer/floor division)
print(10 % 3)   # 1 (modulus/remainder)
print(2 ** 10)  # 1024 (exponentiation)

# Comparison (returns bool)
print(5 == 5)   # True
print(5 != 3)   # True
print(5 > 3)    # True

# Logical
print(True and False)  # False
print(True or False)   # True
print(not True)        # False

# Assignment shorthand
x = 10
x += 5   # x = x + 5 → 15
x -= 3   # x = x - 3 → 12

# Membership
fruits = ["apple", "banana"]
print("apple" in fruits)    # True
print("grape" not in fruits) # True
</code></pre>

Revision Notes

• // = floor division, % = modulus, ** = power
• == equality, = assignment (never confuse)
• and/or/not for logic
• += shorthand for x = x + ...
• in/not in for membership testing

Example 1: Arithmetic Operators

x = 17
y = 5

print(x + y)   # 22  addition
print(x - y)   # 12  subtraction
print(x * y)   # 85  multiplication
print(x / y)   # 3.4  true division
print(x // y)  # 3   floor division
print(x % y)   # 2   remainder
print(x ** 2)  # 289 power

All arithmetic operators demonstrated with clear output.

Simple Calculator

Easy

Write a Python program that takes two numbers and an operator (+, -, *, /) from the user and performs the calculation.

Handle division by zero gracefully.

Input:

10 3 +

Output:

10 + 3 = 13

Show Hint

Use if-elif to check the operator. Remember to check for zero before dividing.

Solve this Challenge

Show Solution

num1 = float(input("Enter first number: "))
num2 = float(input("Enter second number: "))
op = input("Enter operator (+, -, *, /): ")

if op == "+":
    result = num1 + num2
elif op == "-":
    result = num1 - num2
elif op == "*":
    result = num1 * num2
elif op == "/":
    if num2 == 0:
        print("Error: Cannot divide by zero")
        exit()
    result = num1 / num2
else:
    print("Invalid operator")
    exit()

print(f"{num1} {op} {num2} = {result}")

Data Types Back to Course