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How Does the Modulo Operator (%) Work in Python Calculations?
Learn about the modulo operator (%) in Python, which calculates the remainder of a division. Understand how this operator differs from standard division (/) and floor division (//) and see examples of its use in programming.
Question
Which operator returns the remainder of a division?
A. //
B. **
C. /
D. %
Answer
D. %
Explanation
% computes the remainder (modulo) of division.
When you use the % operator, it divides the left operand by the right operand and yields the leftover value. For example, 10 % 3 evaluates to 1 because 10 divided by 3 is 3 with a remainder of 1. This operator is very useful in programming for tasks like determining if a number is even or odd (e.g., number % 2 == 0) or for cycling through a fixed number of states.
The other options represent different arithmetic operations:
- The // operator performs floor division. It divides the numbers and rounds the result down to the nearest whole number. For example, 10 // 3 evaluates to 3.
- The ** operator is the exponentiation operator. It raises the left operand to the power of the right operand. For example, 10 ** 3 evaluates to 1000.
- The / operator performs true division or float division. It always returns a floating-point number representing the precise result of the division. For example, 10 / 3 evaluates to 3.333….
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