Understanding Boolean Operators in Python
Boolean operators are fundamental logical constructs in Python that allow you to combine and evaluate conditions. The three main Boolean operators in Python are and
, or
, and not
. These operators work with Boolean values (True
and False
) to create more complex logical expressions.
What are Boolean Operators?
Boolean operators are used to combine or negate Boolean expressions. They are used to create compound conditions and control the flow of your program based on these conditions.
The three main Boolean operators in Python are:
- and: Returns
True
if both operands are True
, otherwise False
.
- or: Returns
True
if at least one of the operands is True
, otherwise False
.
- not: Returns the opposite of the operand, i.e.,
True
if the operand is False
, and False
if the operand is True
.
These operators can be used in various control flow statements, such as if
, while
, and for
loops, to create more complex logical conditions.
Understanding Boolean Expressions
Boolean expressions are statements that evaluate to either True
or False
. They can be simple, involving a single condition, or compound, involving multiple conditions combined with Boolean operators.
Here's an example of a simple Boolean expression:
x = 5
y = 10
is_greater = x > y
print(is_greater) ## Output: False
In this example, the Boolean expression x > y
evaluates to False
, which is then assigned to the variable is_greater
.
Now, let's look at a compound Boolean expression:
age = 25
is_adult = age >= 18
is_senior = age >= 65
is_eligible = is_adult and not is_senior
print(is_eligible) ## Output: True
In this example, the compound Boolean expression is_adult and not is_senior
evaluates to True
because the person is an adult (18 or older) and not a senior (65 or older).
By understanding the behavior of these Boolean operators, you can create more complex and powerful logical conditions in your Python programs.