Unit notes and practice questions
Everything here is for unit 6 of the Grade 12 Information Technology textbook: what the chapter covers, the short notes, practice questions with their answers, and the lesson video where one exists.
The cards filed under this chapter on the Grade 12 Information Technology page. Open one at a time.
When you use it
Use when modifying the standard flow of for or while loops.
Watch out
break terminates the entire loop and exits immediately, whereas continue skips only the remainder of the current iteration and jumps to the next cycle.
Drafted from Grade 12 Information Communication Technology, page 164 onwards, then checked twice before it went up
When you use it
Use when testing code line by line and tracing logic errors using breakpoints.
Watch out
Go runs execution continuously until a breakpoint is hit, whereas Step moves through every internal evaluation step on that line.
Drafted from Grade 12 Information Communication Technology, page 164 onwards, then checked twice before it went up
When you use it
Use when describing how Python code executes from text to machine execution.
Watch out
Source code (.py) is first compiled into bytecode (.pyc), which is then interpreted line by line by the Python Virtual Machine (PVM), not executed directly by CPU hardware.
Drafted from Grade 12 Information Communication Technology, page 164 onwards, then checked twice before it went up
| Call | Start | Stop (Excluded) | Step | Generated Sequence |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| range(x) | 0 | 1 | ||
| range(x, y) | 1 | |||
| range(x, y, z) |
When you use it
Use when setting up counting iterations in for loops with varying start, end, and step increments.
Watch out
The upper bound is always excluded. For example, range(5) stops at 4 and never produces 5.
Drafted from Grade 12 Information Communication Technology, page 164 onwards, then checked twice before it went up
When you use it
Use when writing or debugging if, elif, else, for, and while blocks in Python.
Watch out
Using a single = instead of == in conditions causes a syntax error. Missing the trailing colon (:) or using inconsistent spacing within the same indented block also triggers syntax errors.
Drafted from Grade 12 Information Communication Technology, page 164 onwards, then checked twice before it went up
10 multiple-choice questions written against this chapter, each with its answer and the reason. Try one before you open the answer.
Question 1
Which of the following is NOT one of the three main types of program flow control in Python?
Answer: D Commenting
Why
Python implements program flow control using three constructs: sequential, branching (conditional), and looping (iterative). Comments are descriptive texts ignored by the interpreter and are not a flow control construct.
Question 2
In Python, which character is placed at the beginning of a line to write a comment?
Answer: B #
Why
In Python, comments are denoted by the hash symbol (#). Anything written after the # symbol on that line is ignored by the Python interpreter.
Question 3
What sequence of numbers is generated by the Python expression range(5)?
Answer: C 0, 1, 2, 3, 4
Why
The range(x) function starts counting from 0 by default and stops at x - 1, excluding the number x itself. Therefore, range(5) generates 0, 1, 2, 3, and 4.
Question 4
What is an unexpected problem or fault in a computer program called?
Answer: B A bug
Why
A bug is an unexpected problem in your program that prevents it from running correctly. Debugging is the process of locating and fixing these problems.
Question 5
What list of numbers is generated by the function range(1, 10, 2)?
Answer: B 1, 3, 5, 7, 9
Why
In range(x, y, z), x is the start value (1), y is the end limit (10, excluded), and z is the step size (2). This produces 1, 3, 5, 7, and 9.
Question 6
What happens when the break statement is executed inside a loop?
Answer: C It stops the loop completely before looping through all items.
Why
The break keyword immediately stops the execution of a loop, causing the program to exit the loop even before reaching the final iteration.
Question 7
In the Python IDLE editor, which shortcut key under the Format menu comments out a selected region of code?
Answer: C Alt+3
Why
In Python IDLE, you can use Alt+3 to comment out a selected block of code. To uncomment the region, you use Alt+4.
Question 8
During the Python interpreter process, what is the role of the Python Virtual Machine (PVM)?
Answer: C It reads instructions in the bytecode one by one and executes them.
Why
The Python Virtual Machine (PVM) is the runtime component that loads the compiled bytecode (.pyc file), reads each instruction one by one, and executes the specified operations.
Question 9
How does the continue keyword differ from the break keyword inside a Python loop?
Answer: A <code>continue</code> stops the current iteration and moves to the next, while <code>break</code> terminates the entire loop.
Why
The continue statement skips the remainder of the current loop iteration and advances directly to the next iteration. In contrast, break exits and terminates the entire loop immediately.
Question 10
In the Python IDLE Debug Control window, which button allows you to see all internal commands Python uses to execute the current line before advancing?
Answer: B Step
Why
In IDLE Debug mode, clicking Step lets you see all internal commands Python executes for the current line and advance to the next line. Go runs until a breakpoint is hit, and Over provides line-by-line execution.
The app holds 11 questions on this unit, marked as you go. These are the first 10.
The whole Grade 12 Information Technology textbook, free as a PDF.
Ministry of Education edition, English, 210 pages
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