Question

What will the following code display? for number in range(6): print(number)

Short answer

```python for number in range(6): print(number) ``` Answer: The output of the given Python loop when executed is: ``` 0 1 2 3 4 5 ```

Step-by-step solution

Understanding the range function

The `range()` function in Python creates a sequence of numbers from 0 (default) up to the specified number (which is not included in the sequence). In this case, the range will be from 0 up to 6 (non-inclusive). This results in a sequence of numbers: 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5.

Iterating through the range with the for loop

The for loop iterates through the sequence of numbers generated by the range function. At each iteration, the variable 'number' stores the current value from the sequence, and the print function displays the current value.

Print the output

During each iteration, the 'print()' function will display the current value stored in the 'number' variable. The output will be printed in separate lines for each iteration and will look like this: 0 1 2 3 4 5

Key concepts

Understanding the range Function

The range() function in Python is a fundamental building block for loops, particularly the for loop. At its core, the range function generates a sequence of numbers, which is often used in loops for repeating tasks a certain number of times.

Let's delve into the mechanics of range(). When you call range() with a single argument, you create a sequence of numbers from zero up to but not including the number you provided. For example, range(6) produces 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5. Note that the sequence ends just before the number 6.

If you need to start your sequence from a number other than zero, range() can take two arguments: range(start, stop). A third argument can be used to determine the step size, like so: range(start, stop, step). This is useful for creating sequences with specific increments.

Sequence Iteration with for Loops

In Python, for loops are the bread and butter for sequence iteration. They allow you to execute a block of code repeatedly for each item in a sequence, such as a list or the sequence generated by the range() function.

When you write a for loop, you set up a temporary variable - in our original code, it's called 'number' - that takes on the value of each item in the sequence, one after another. The loop runs once for each item, performing the tasks specified in the loop's body. In the example given, the for loop combined with range(6), it will iterate six times in total - with 'number' taking values from 0 to 5 during these iterations.

Understanding this concept is crucial, especially when dealing with more complex codes. Using for loops efficiently can help you automate and simplify tasks that involve processing or transforming each item in a sequence.

Displaying Output with the print Function

The print() function in Python serves one primary purpose: it outputs data to the console. It is one of the most commonly used built-in functions, and it's exceptionally straightforward - it takes the objects you want to print as arguments and displays them nicely formatted.

In the context of loops, you'll often use print() to show the result of each iteration. As seen in the exercise, the print function is called with the variable 'number' in each iteration of the for loop, which prints out 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5 on separate lines. By default, print() outputs each argument on its own line, but you can customize this behavior with various parameters, like 'end' and 'sep', to control the output's format.

Also, the print() function isn't limited to numbers or strings; it can handle almost any data type by converting it to a string representation, making it an incredibly versatile tool in Python programming.