When learning about programming, one important concept to understand is if-else statements. These statements help programs make decisions by executing certain code based on conditions. To really get the hang of if-else statements, it’s helpful to practice with some exercises. Here are a few great examples to try out.

Exercise 1: Age Verification System

A simple and effective exercise is to create a program that checks if someone is old enough to vote. The program will ask the user for their age and then use an if-else statement to decide if they can vote.

Here is a sample code for this exercise:

age = int(input("Please enter your age: "))
if age >= 18:
    print("You are eligible to vote!")
else:
    print("Sorry, you are not old enough to vote yet.")

This exercise helps you practice comparing numbers and understanding how if-else statements work.

Exercise 2: Grading System

Next, you can try making a grading system. In this exercise, you will write a program that takes a score and tells the user what letter grade they received. For example, a score of 90 or higher gets an "A," while 80-89 gets a "B," and so on. This lets you use nested if-else statements and think about different conditions.

Here’s what the code could look like:

score = int(input("Enter your score: "))
if score >= 90:
    grade = "A"
elif score >= 80:
    grade = "B"
elif score >= 70:
    grade = "C"
elif score >= 60:
    grade = "D"
else:
    grade = "F"
print(f"Your grade is: {grade}")

This challenge helps you learn about control flow and making decisions in your code.

Exercise 3: Simple Calculator Menu

Another fun exercise is to create a simple menu for a calculator. You can make a text-based menu that allows users to add, subtract, multiply, or divide two numbers. This exercise helps you use multiple if-else statements and functions.

Here’s an example of how the code might look:

print("Welcome to the calculator!")
print("1. Add")
print("2. Subtract")
print("3. Multiply")
print("4. Divide")
choice = input("Please select an option (1-4): ")

num1 = float(input("Enter first number: "))
num2 = float(input("Enter second number: "))

if choice == '1':
    print(f"The result is: {num1 + num2}")
elif choice == '2':
    print(f"The result is: {num1 - num2}")
elif choice == '3':
    print(f"The result is: {num1 * num2}")
elif choice == '4':
    if num2 != 0:
        print(f"The result is: {num1 / num2}")
    else:
        print("Cannot divide by zero!")
else:
    print("Invalid choice.")

Creating a menu like this helps you practice if-else statements and shows you how to handle user input correctly.

Exercise 4: Simple Login System

Lastly, you can make a login system. In this task, you'll check if a user has entered the correct username and password. It helps you practice comparing strings and underscores the importance of logic in everyday programs.

Here’s how that code might look:

username = input("Enter username: ")
password = input("Enter password: ")

if username == "admin" and password == "12345":
    print("Access granted.")
else:
    print("Access denied.")

By trying out these exercises, you can practice your coding skills and really understand if-else statements. These activities are not only useful for school but also relevant in real-world programming, giving you valuable tools for your future in coding.