Question

What is the difference between an argument and a parameter?

Short answer

Short Answer: Parameters are variables defined in a function's declaration, serving as placeholders for values that will be passed to the function when it is called. Arguments, on the other hand, are the actual values being passed into a function when it is called. Arguments replace the parameters in the function's definition to perform various operations. For example, in a function `area_of_rectangle(length, width)`, `length` and `width` are parameters, whereas the actual values passed, such as `area_of_rectangle(10, 5)`, the numbers 10 and 5 are arguments.

Step-by-step solution

Define a Parameter

A parameter is a variable defined in a function's declaration that represents a placeholder for the value(s) that will be passed to the function when it is called.

Define an Argument

An argument is the actual value that is being passed into a function when it is called. These values are used to replace the parameters in the function's definition to perform various operations inside the function.

Provide an Example

Let's take a look at an example to illustrate the difference between a parameter and an argument. Suppose we have a function to calculate the area of a rectangle: ``` def area_of_rectangle(length, width): return length * width ``` In this case, `length` and `width` are parameters, which are the placeholders for the actual values of the rectangle's dimensions. Now, let's call the function with actual values: ``` rectangle_area = area_of_rectangle(10, 5) ``` In this case, 10 and 5 are the arguments, which are the actual values passed into the function for `length` and `width`, respectively. When the function is called, these arguments replace the parameters, and the function calculates the area of the rectangle using the arguments.