Question

How do you return a value from a function?

Short answer

Answer: To return a value from a function in Python, use the `return` keyword followed by the value or expression that you want to return. For example: ```python def square(number): result = number ** 2 return result ``` In this example, the `square()` function calculates the square of the input number and returns the result using the `return` keyword.

Step-by-step solution

Understanding Functions

In programming, a function is a reusable set of instructions that can be called multiple times to perform a specific task. Functions can take input values, called arguments, and return a value after performing the task. Functions can be used in various programming languages, but each language has its own syntax for defining and using functions. For this example, the explanation will use Python as a programming language.

Defining a Function

To define a function, use the `def` keyword followed by the function name, parentheses, and a colon. Arguments are taken inside the parentheses if needed for the function. Inside the function, you can write the instructions to be executed when the function is called. For example, let's create a function that calculates the square of a number: ```python def square(number): result = number ** 2 ```

Returning a Value

To return a value from a function, you can use the `return` keyword followed by the value or expression that you want to return. In our example, we want to return the result after calculating the square of a number: ```python def square(number): result = number ** 2 return result ``` The `return` statement here is used to pass the value of `result` back to the code where the function is called.

Calling the Function and Using the Returned Value

To call a function and use the returned value, simply write the function name with the required arguments inside parentheses. You can store the returned value in a variable and use it in your code. In this example, we will call the `square()` function with the argument `5` and store the returned value in a variable `answer`: ```python def square(number): result = number ** 2 return result answer = square(5) print("The square of 5 is:", answer) ``` This program will output: ``` The square of 5 is: 25 ``` In this example, the function `square()` takes an argument `5`, calculates the square of it, and returns the value `25`, which is then stored in the variable `answer` and printed to the console.