Question

A program that calculates the total of a series of numbers typically has what two elements?

Short answer

Question: Identify the two main elements required for a program that calculates the total of a series of numbers.

Step-by-step solution

Element 1: Input data (Series of numbers)

In order to calculate the total of a series of numbers, the program needs to have the series of numbers as input data. This can be in the form of a list, an array or any other data structure that can store multiple numbers.

Element 2: Algorithm to sum the numbers

Once the program has the input data (series of numbers), it needs an algorithm to sum up the numbers. This can be achieved using a loop to iterate through each element in the series and adding them to a running total, or by using a built-in sum function available in many programming languages. The algorithm should output the total sum of the series.