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Phase 1 - Level 1: Simple Conditions

Chapter 1 • Beginner

45 min

Phase 1 - Level 1: Simple Conditions

Introduction to Conditional Thinking

Conditional thinking is the foundation of programming logic. It allows programs to make decisions based on different conditions. Think of it like a flowchart - "If this condition is true, do this; otherwise, do that."

What You'll Learn

  • Understanding if-else statements
  • Working with relational operators (>, <, ==, !=, >=, <=)
  • Basic boolean logic
  • Simple decision-making in programs

Relational Operators

Relational operators compare two values and return True or False:

  • > (greater than): Checks if left value is greater
  • < (less than): Checks if left value is smaller
  • == (equal to): Checks if values are equal
  • != (not equal to): Checks if values are different
  • >= (greater than or equal): Checks if left is greater or equal
  • <= (less than or equal): Checks if left is smaller or equal

Basic If-Else Structure

python.js
if condition:
    # Code to execute if condition is True
    statement1
    statement2
else:
    # Code to execute if condition is False
    statement3
    statement4

Key Concepts

  1. Indentation Matters: Python uses indentation to define code blocks
  2. Boolean Values: Conditions evaluate to True or False
  3. Single Condition: Start with simple single conditions
  4. Default Action: Use else for the default case

Common Patterns

  • Positive/Negative Check: Determine if a number is positive or negative
  • Even/Odd Check: Use modulo operator (%) to check divisibility
  • Range Check: Verify if a value falls within a specific range
  • Character Type: Check if a character is uppercase, lowercase, digit, etc.

Practice Focus

In this level, you'll practice:

  • Taking input and making simple decisions
  • Using basic comparison operators
  • Handling two possible outcomes (if-else)
  • Building confidence with conditional logic

Hands-on Examples

Check if Number is Positive, Negative, or Zero

# Take a number as input
num = float(input("Enter a number: "))

# Check if positive, negative, or zero
if num > 0:
    print("Positive")
elif num < 0:
    print("Negative")
else:
    print("Zero")

We use if-elif-else to check three conditions: greater than 0 (positive), less than 0 (negative), or exactly 0.

Next
Phase 1 - Level 2: Nested If & Multiple Conditions

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