Lesson 8 of 20 · Variables

Variables — Part 8

Store and use values that can change.

What you'll learn

You will learn that variables store values like labeled boxes, and you can read and update them.

Words to know

Variable: A named place to store a value (e.g. score). You can read it and change it.
Value: A piece of data, like a number or text. Variables hold values.
Assign: To give a variable a value using = (e.g. score = 0).

Your turn

📋 Show the steps

Press ▶ Run and see what the computer says!

1A variable is like a labeled box. Here, 'score' is the label and 0 is what's inside. score = 0 means 'put 0 in the box called score'.
2print('Score:', score) looks inside the box and shows what's there — it would display 'Score: 0'.
3Then score = score + 1 takes the current value (0), adds 1, and puts the result (1) back in the box. Now score holds 1!
4Variables let programs remember and update information — like keeping score in a game, tracking lives, or storing a player's name.

Auto-run is on: change the code and the result updates by itself.

Auto-run

Output

Loading Python... This may take a few seconds.

Check your understanding · 1 of 5

name = 'Alex' What type of value is stored?

Check your understanding · 2 of 5

What is a variable?

Check your understanding · 3 of 5

x = 10 print(x) What prints?

Check your understanding · 4 of 5

score = 0 score = score + 5 What is score now?

Check your understanding · 5 of 5

Which assigns the value 7 to x?

Nice work!

You got 0 of 5 right.