Module 6: Lists – Quiz – Free Python Course

Question 1

What is the correct way to create an empty list in Python?

list = ()
my_list = []
my_list = {}
my_list = empty()

Correct! Square brackets [] create an empty list.

Incorrect. Square brackets [] create an empty list. Parentheses create a tuple, and curly braces create a dictionary or set.

Question 2

Given fruits = ["apple", "banana", "cherry", "date"], what does fruits[2] return?

"banana"
"apple"
"cherry"
"date"

Correct! Index 2 is the third element (indexing starts at 0).

Incorrect. Remember, indexing starts at 0: index 0 is "apple", index 1 is "banana", index 2 is "cherry".

Question 3

Given nums = [10, 20, 30, 40, 50], what does nums[-2] return?

20
50
30
40

Correct! -1 is the last element (50), so -2 is the second-to-last (40).

Incorrect. Negative indexing: -1 is the last element (50), -2 is the second-to-last (40).

Question 4

What is the difference between append() and extend()?

They do the same thing
append() adds a single item; extend() adds each item from an iterable individually
append() adds to the beginning; extend() adds to the end
append() returns a new list; extend() modifies in place

Correct! append() adds one item (even if it is a list), while extend() unpacks an iterable and adds each element.

Incorrect. append() adds a single item to the end, while extend() adds each item from an iterable individually.

Question 5

What does pop() do when called without arguments?

Removes the first element
Removes all elements
Removes and returns the last element
Returns the last element without removing it

Correct! pop() without arguments removes and returns the last element.

Incorrect. pop() without arguments removes and returns the last element of the list.

Question 6

Given data = [5, 3, 8, 1, 9], what does data.sort() return?

None (it modifies the list in place)
[1, 3, 5, 8, 9]
[9, 8, 5, 3, 1]
A new sorted list

Correct! sort() modifies the list in place and returns None. Use sorted() to get a new list.

Incorrect. sort() modifies the list in place and returns None. It does not return a new list.

Question 7

Given nums = [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8], what does nums[2:6] return?

[2, 3, 4, 5, 6]
[3, 4, 5, 6]
[3, 4, 5]
[2, 3, 4, 5]

Correct! Slice [2:6] starts at index 2 (value 3) and goes up to but not including index 6 (value 7).

Incorrect. Slice [2:6] starts at index 2 and stops before index 6: elements at indexes 2, 3, 4, 5.

Question 8

What does my_list[::-1] do?

Returns the first element
Removes the last element
Sorts the list in reverse
Returns a reversed copy of the list

Correct! A step of -1 reverses the list, and slicing always returns a new list.

Incorrect. The slice [::-1] returns a new list with all elements in reverse order.

Question 9

What happens when you write copy = original with lists?

A new independent copy is created
An error is raised
Both variables point to the same list in memory
The original list is deleted

Correct! Assignment creates a reference, not a copy. Changes to one affect the other. Use [:] or .copy() for a true copy.

Incorrect. Assigning a list to a new variable creates a reference -- both point to the same list in memory.

Question 10

What does this list comprehension produce? [x * 2 for x in range(5)]

[0, 2, 4, 6, 8]
[2, 4, 6, 8, 10]
[1, 2, 3, 4, 5]
[0, 1, 2, 3, 4]

Correct! range(5) gives 0-4, each multiplied by 2 gives [0, 2, 4, 6, 8].

Incorrect. range(5) produces 0, 1, 2, 3, 4. Multiplying each by 2 gives [0, 2, 4, 6, 8].

Question 11

What does [x for x in range(10) if x % 2 == 0] produce?

[1, 3, 5, 7, 9]
[0, 2, 4, 6, 8]
[2, 4, 6, 8, 10]
[0, 1, 2, 3, 4]

Correct! This filters range(10) to include only even numbers: 0, 2, 4, 6, 8.

Incorrect. The condition x % 2 == 0 keeps only even numbers from range(10): [0, 2, 4, 6, 8].

Question 12

Which of the following is the best use case for a list comprehension?

Complex logic with multiple if/elif/else branches and side effects
Printing each item in a list
Reading and writing files for each item
Creating a new list by transforming each element of an existing list

Correct! List comprehensions are ideal for simple transformations that create a new list from an existing one.

Incorrect. List comprehensions are best for simple transformations that produce a new list. Complex logic and side effects should use regular for-loops.

Module 6 Quiz: Lists