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Making a Calculator with Python

June 19, 2022

This activity will combine everything we’ve covered today, along with some tools from yesterday. You will build a basic arithmetic calculator that takes in user input and returns the result of the calculation.

Starter file

# Define a function `calculate` that takes in two numbers and adds, subtracts, multiplies, or divides the two numbers.

    # Create a variable `result` and set it to 0.


    # Prompt the user "What do you want to do: Add, Subtract, Multiply or Divide?" and assign the answer to a variable `choice`.


    # Create an if-else statement to perform the proper calculation with the two parameters based on the user's `choice`.


    # Return the calculated `result` variable.


# Call the `calculate` function and print the results.

Instructions

Open the starter file and perform the following:

1. Define a function calculate that takes in two numbers and adds, subtracts, multiplies, or divides the two numbers.
   • Create a variable result and set it to 0.
   • Prompt the user, “What do you want to do: Add, Subtract, Multiply or Divide?” Assign the answer to a variable choice.
   • Create an if-else statement to perform the proper calculation with the two parameters based on the user’s choice.
   • Return the calculated result variable.
2. Call the calculate function and print the results.

Solution

# Define a function `calculate` that takes in two numbers and adds, subtracts, multiplies, or divides the two numbers.
def calculate(num_1, num_2):
    # Create a variable `result` and set it to 0.
    result = 0

    # Prompt the user "What do you want to do: Add, Subtract, Multiply or Divide?" and assign the answer to a variable `choice`.
    choice = input("What do you want to do: Add, Subtract, Multiply or Divide? ")

    # Create an if-else statement to perform the proper calculation with the two parameters based on the user's `choice`.
    if choice == "Add":
        result = num_1 + num_2
    elif choice == "Subtract":
        result = num_1 - num_2
    elif choice == "Multiply":
        result = num_1 * num_2
    elif choice == "Divide":
        result = num_1 / num_2
    else:
        print("You did not choose a valid choice.")

    # Return the calculated `result` variable.
    return result

# Call the `calculate` function and print the results.
print(calculate(10, 3))