What's the difference between "2*2" and "2**2" in Python?
Question:
What is the difference between the following statements?
Statement 1:
var=2**2*3
Statement 2:
var2=2*2*3
I see no difference.
This raises the following question.
Why is Statement 1 used if we can use Statement 2?
Answers:
Double stars (**) are exponentiation. So “2 times 2” and “2 to the power 2” are the same. Change the numbers and you’ll see a difference.
2**2 = 2 power-of 2
2*2 = 2 times 2
The ** operator in Python is really “power;” that is, 2**3 = 8.
Try:
2**3*2
and
2*3*2
to see the difference.
** is the operator for “power of”. In your particular operation, 2 to the power of 2 yields the same as 2 times 2.
2**2 means 2 squared (2^2)
2*2 mean 2 times 2 (2x2)
In this case they happen to have the same value, but…
3**3*4 != 3*3*4
The top one is a “power” operator, so in this case it is the same as 2 * 2 equal to is 2 to the power of 2. If you put a 3 in the middle position, you will see a difference.
To specifically answer your question Why is the code1 used if we can use code2? I might suggest that the programmer was thinking in a mathematically broader sense. Specifically, perhaps the broader equation is a power equation, and the fact that both first numbers are “2” is more coincidence than mathematical reality. I’d want to make sure that the broader context of the code supports it being
var = x * x * y
in all cases, rather than in this specific case alone. This could get you in big trouble if x is anything but 2.
A double asterisk means to the power of. A single asterisk means multiplied by. 22 is the same as 2×2 which is why both answers came out as 4.
Power has more precedence than multiply, so:
2**2*3 = (2^2)*3
2*2*3 = 2*2*3
For visual learners…………………….
What is the difference between the following statements?
Statement 1:
var=2**2*3
Statement 2:
var2=2*2*3
I see no difference.
This raises the following question.
Why is Statement 1 used if we can use Statement 2?
Double stars (**) are exponentiation. So “2 times 2” and “2 to the power 2” are the same. Change the numbers and you’ll see a difference.
2**2 = 2 power-of 2
2*2 = 2 times 2
The ** operator in Python is really “power;” that is, 2**3 = 8.
Try:
2**3*2
and
2*3*2
to see the difference.
** is the operator for “power of”. In your particular operation, 2 to the power of 2 yields the same as 2 times 2.
2**2 means 2 squared (2^2)
2*2 mean 2 times 2 (2x2)
In this case they happen to have the same value, but…
3**3*4 != 3*3*4
The top one is a “power” operator, so in this case it is the same as 2 * 2 equal to is 2 to the power of 2. If you put a 3 in the middle position, you will see a difference.
To specifically answer your question Why is the code1 used if we can use code2? I might suggest that the programmer was thinking in a mathematically broader sense. Specifically, perhaps the broader equation is a power equation, and the fact that both first numbers are “2” is more coincidence than mathematical reality. I’d want to make sure that the broader context of the code supports it being
var = x * x * yin all cases, rather than in this specific case alone. This could get you in big trouble if x is anything but 2.
A double asterisk means to the power of. A single asterisk means multiplied by. 22 is the same as 2×2 which is why both answers came out as 4.
Power has more precedence than multiply, so:
2**2*3 = (2^2)*3
2*2*3 = 2*2*3
For visual learners…………………….