Chapter 3: Problem 16

When a parameter is changed, does this affect the argument that was passed into the parameter?

Short Answer

Expert verified

Answer: Changing a parameter inside a function does not affect the original argument that was passed into the parameter. The parameter and the argument are separate variables, and any changes made to the parameter will not be reflected in the argument.

Step by step solution

1. Define a function with a parameter

First, we will define a simple function that takes one parameter as input and modifies it inside the function. ```python def modify_parameter(param): param += 1 print("Inside the function, the parameter is:", param) ```

2. Pass an argument to the function

Next, we will pass an argument (a value) to the function and observe the output. ```python argument = 5 print("Before calling the function, the argument is:", argument) modify_parameter(argument) print("After calling the function, the argument is:", argument) ```

3. Analyze the output

Run the code to display the following output: ``` Before calling the function, the argument is: 5 Inside the function, the parameter is: 6 After calling the function, the argument is: 5 ```

4. Interpret the results

From the output, we can conclude that: - Before calling the function, the argument has a value of 5. - Inside the function, the parameter (which has the same value as the argument that was passed to it) is incremented by 1 and becomes 6. This new value does not affect the original argument. - After calling the function, the argument remains the same, with a value of 5. Therefore, changing a parameter inside a function does not affect the original argument that was passed into the parameter. The parameter and the argument are separate variables, and any changes made to the parameter will not be reflected in the argument.

Unlock Step-by-Step Solutions & Ace Your Exams!

Full Textbook Solutions
Get detailed explanations and key concepts
Unlimited Al creation
Al flashcards, explanations, exams and more...
Ads-free access
To over 500 millions flashcards
Money-back guarantee
We refund you if you fail your exam.

Start your free trial

Over 30 million students worldwide already upgrade their learning with Vaia!

Recommended explanations on Computer Science Textbooks

View all explanations

What do you think about this solution?

We value your feedback to improve our textbook solutions.

When a parameter is changed, does this affect the argument that was passed into the parameter?

Short Answer

Step by step solution

1. Define a function with a parameter

2. Pass an argument to the function

3. Analyze the output

4. Interpret the results

One App. One Place for Learning.

Most popular questions from this chapter

Recommended explanations on Computer Science Textbooks

Issues in Computer Science

Data Structures

Problem Solving Techniques

Computer Programming

Computer Organisation and Architecture

Theory of Computation

Study anywhere. Anytime. Across all devices.