Comparison Operators - Making Judgments
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Why Do We Need to Compare Things?
"Comparison operators allow us to make valuations about different values or express a relationship."
The Six Comparison Operators
<
Less Than
5 < 10
→ True
>
Greater Than
10 > 5
→ True
==
Equal To
5 == 5
→ True
!=
Not Equal To
5 != 10
→ True
<=
Less/Equal
5 <= 5
→ True
>=
Greater/Equal
10 >= 5
→ True
Interactive Comparison Lab
Click Compare to see result
Classic Trap: = (Assign) vs == (Compare)
Click a button below to test the difference between storing a value with = and asking a question with ==:
= (Single Equals: Assignment)
x = 5Action: Puts
5 inside the variable box named x. Does not produce True/False!== (Double Equals: Question)
x == 5Question: "Is the value inside
x equal to 5?" → Evaluates to True!> Step 1: x = 5 (Memory box [x] now holds 5)
CODE EXAMPLES Expressing Relationships & Real-World Comparison Patterns + Explore
Mental Model: Comparisons are questions that always have True/False answers. They express relationships between values.
# Real-world examples age = 18 is_adult = age >= 18 # True score = 75 passed = score >= 60 # True perfect = score == 100 # False temperature = 32 is_freezing = temperature <= 32 # True
Common Use Cases
- Checking age requirements:
age >= 18 - Testing equality:
password == correct_password - Finding differences:
current_score != previous_score - Range checking:
0 <= score <= 100
Woodland Milestone: You've unlocked the power of judgment! Next, we'll combine multiple True/False questions together using Logical Operators.
Comparisons ask a yes-or-no question and always return True or False. Remember: = stores a value, while == checks if two values match.
