Python List Exercises

Welcome to The Coding College, where we make learning Python simple and engaging! Lists are one of the most versatile and essential data structures in Python. To truly master their use, practice is key.

This post provides a range of Python list exercises to help you solidify your understanding. These exercises are designed for beginners to advanced learners, covering basic list operations, slicing, comprehensions, and more.

Why Practice List Exercises?

Practicing Python list exercises helps you:

  • Develop a strong foundation in data manipulation.
  • Solve real-world problems involving data storage and organization.
  • Prepare for coding interviews and Python programming challenges.

Python List Exercises

1. Create and Access Lists

Task:

  • Create a list of your favorite fruits: ["apple", "banana", "cherry"].
  • Access the first and last elements.

Expected Output:

fruits = ["apple", "banana", "cherry"]  
print(fruits[0])  # Output: apple  
print(fruits[-1])  # Output: cherry

2. Modify List Items

Task:

  • Replace "banana" with "orange" in the list ["apple", "banana", "cherry"].

Expected Output:

fruits = ["apple", "banana", "cherry"]  
fruits[1] = "orange"  
print(fruits)  # Output: ["apple", "orange", "cherry"]

3. Add and Remove Items

Task:

  • Add "kiwi" to the end of the list using append().
  • Remove "apple" using remove().

Expected Output:

fruits = ["apple", "banana", "cherry"]  
fruits.append("kiwi")  
fruits.remove("apple")  
print(fruits)  # Output: ["banana", "cherry", "kiwi"]

4. Slice a List

Task:

  • Extract the middle two items from the list [1, 2, 3, 4, 5].

Expected Output:

numbers = [1, 2, 3, 4, 5]  
print(numbers[1:4])  # Output: [2, 3, 4]

5. Sort and Reverse a List

Task:

  • Sort the list [3, 1, 4, 2] in ascending order.
  • Reverse the sorted list.

Expected Output:

numbers = [3, 1, 4, 2]  
numbers.sort()  
print(numbers)  # Output: [1, 2, 3, 4]  

numbers.reverse()  
print(numbers)  # Output: [4, 3, 2, 1]

6. Count Elements

Task:

  • Count the occurrences of "cat" in the list ["cat", "dog", "cat", "bird"].

Expected Output:

animals = ["cat", "dog", "cat", "bird"]  
count = animals.count("cat")  
print(count)  # Output: 2

7. Combine Two Lists

Task:

  • Merge [1, 2, 3] and [4, 5, 6] using the + operator.

Expected Output:

list1 = [1, 2, 3]  
list2 = [4, 5, 6]  
combined = list1 + list2  
print(combined)  # Output: [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6]

8. Filter Even Numbers

Task:

  • Use list comprehension to create a list of even numbers from [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6].

Expected Output:

numbers = [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6]  
evens = [num for num in numbers if num % 2 == 0]  
print(evens)  # Output: [2, 4, 6]

9. Find the Maximum Value

Task:

  • Find the largest number in the list [10, 20, 30, 40, 50].

Expected Output:

numbers = [10, 20, 30, 40, 50]  
max_value = max(numbers)  
print(max_value)  # Output: 50

10. Nested Lists

Task:

  • Access the number 2 in the nested list [[1, 2], [3, 4]].

Expected Output:

nested_list = [[1, 2], [3, 4]]  
print(nested_list[0][1])  # Output: 2

Advanced Exercises

1. Flatten a Nested List

Task:

  • Convert [[1, 2], [3, 4]] into [1, 2, 3, 4].

Hint: Use a list comprehension.

2. Remove Duplicates

Task:

  • Remove duplicates from [1, 2, 2, 3, 4, 4] and return a unique list.

3. Find Common Elements

Task:

  • Find common elements between [1, 2, 3] and [2, 3, 4].

4. Generate a Matrix

Task:

  • Create a 3×3 matrix (list of lists) with all values set to 0.

Why Practice with The Coding College?

At The Coding College, we provide hands-on exercises and real-world scenarios to help you apply Python skills effectively. Practicing these exercises will help you master Python lists and become a more confident programmer.

Conclusion

Python lists are incredibly versatile, and practicing these exercises will help you unlock their full potential. Whether you’re preparing for interviews, solving real-world problems, or sharpening your skills, these exercises are a great way to level up your Python expertise.

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