Getting Started with Python

You need very little Python for Coding a Scientific Model — variables, loops, functions, and printing.

Variables and arithmetic

voltage = 12.0
resistance = 4.0
current = voltage / resistance
print("Current:", current, "A")

Loops

# Half-life decay: how much remains after each half-life?
amount = 100.0
for half_life in range(1, 6):
    amount = amount / 2
    print("After", half_life, "half-lives:", round(amount, 2), "g")

Functions

def kinetic_energy(mass, speed):
    return 0.5 * mass * speed ** 2
 
print(kinetic_energy(1200, 25), "J")

Getting input

distance = float(input("Distance in AU: "))
kilometres = distance * 1.5e8
print(distance, "AU is", kilometres, "km")

Errors are information, not failure

NameError means you used a name Python has not seen — usually a typo. TypeError means you mixed text and numbers, often because input() returns text and you forgot float(). Read the last line of the message first.

Curriculum connection

A1.4

apply coding skills to investigate and to model scientific concepts and relationships

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