What Does the % Sign (Modulo Operator) Do in Python?

Understanding the Modulo Operator in Python: What is the % Sign All About?

Have you ever wondered what the % sign in a Python calculation does? It may seem like an enigma, but the answer lies in the concept of the modulo operator.

In Python, the modulo operator, represented by %, calculates the remainder after one number is divided by another. This means that in the expression a % b, a is divided by b, and the result is the value that remains after the division is complete.

How does this work in practice? Let's consider an example:

• 4 % 2 equals 0 because 4 can be divided evenly by 2 (2 times), with no remainder.
• 7 % 2 equals 1 because when 7 is divided by 2 (3 times), there is a remainder of 1.

To put it simply, the modulo operator returns the remainder of a division operation. If there is no remainder, it returns 0.

Here's an essential point to keep in mind: the modulo operator always yields a result with the same sign as the second operand (or 0). Moreover, the absolute value of the result is strictly smaller than the absolute value of the second operand.

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