Can variables store numbers?

Yes, variables in shell scripts can store numbers. You can assign numeric values to variables just like you would with strings. For example:

number=42

You can then use this variable in arithmetic operations. For example:

result=$((number + 10))
echo $result  # This will output 52

In this example, the variable number stores the integer 42, and we perform an arithmetic operation to add 10 to it.