Question

What is a single alternative decision structure?

Short answer

**Question**: What is a single alternative decision structure in programming, and provide an example demonstrating its use in Python. **Answer**: A single alternative decision structure is a programming concept where a specific action is taken based on whether a condition is true or false. It consists of a condition and an action. If the condition evaluates to true, the action will be executed; otherwise, no action will be executed. An example in Python: ```python age = 16 if age >= 18: print("You are eligible to vote.") ``` In this example, if the variable "age" is greater than or equal to 18, the message "You are eligible to vote" will be printed. If "age" is not greater than or equal to 18, no action will be executed.

Step-by-step solution

Define Single Alternative Decision Structure

A single alternative decision structure is a programming concept where a specific action is taken based on whether a condition is true or false. A single alternative decision structure has only one potential action to execute if the condition is true, and no action when the condition is false. This type of decision structure is commonly used to selectively execute code based on a particular condition.

Understand the Components of a Single Alternative Decision Structure

A single alternative decision structure typically consists of two main components: 1. A condition: This is a test or comparison that results in either a true or false outcome. 2. An action: This action is the code that will be executed if the condition evaluates to true.

Example Code using a Single Alternative Decision Structure

Let's consider an example using a single alternative decision structure in a Python program: ```python age = 16 if age >= 18: print("You are eligible to vote.") ``` In this example, the condition is "age >= 18", which checks if the variable "age" is greater than or equal to 18. If the condition evaluates to true, the action "print("You are eligible to vote.")" will be executed, indicating that the person is eligible to vote. If the condition evaluates to false, nothing will be printed, as there is no action specified for the false condition.

Recap the Key Points

A single alternative decision structure is a programming concept in which a specific action is executed based on whether a condition is true or false. It consists of a condition and an action. If the condition evaluates to true, the action will be executed; otherwise, no action will be executed. This type of decision structure is useful for selectively executing code based on a certain condition.