Explain the difference between while and for loops and give an example of each.

• A. While loops repeat while a condition holds; for loops iterate a known number of times. Example: while x < 5: x += 1; for i in range(5): print(i)
• B. For loops repeat while a condition holds; While loops iterate a known number of times. Example: for i in range(5): print(i); while x < 5: x += 1
• C. They are identical in all languages
• D. For loops run until condition; While loops run a fixed set

Answer: (A)

The difference lies in how many times a block of code runs. A while loop keeps repeating as long as a condition is true, checking that condition every time before the next iteration. A for loop repeats a set number of times or over items in a collection, typically using a counter or an iterator.

For example, a while loop like while x < 5: x += 1 will keep increasing x until x reaches 5, at which point the condition x < 5 becomes false and the loop stops. A for loop like for i in range(5): print(i) runs five times, with i taking values 0 through 4, then stopping.

This matches the idea that while loops respond to a condition, while for loops are used when you know how many iterations you want or when you’re looping over a sequence. Other options mix up these roles or claim sameness across languages, which isn’t accurate.