Precedence and Associativity Quiz Quiz

Explore the nuances of operator precedence and associativity in programming expressions with this quiz. Enhance your understanding of how operators are evaluated and avoid common pitfalls in coding logic.

1. Multiplication vs. Addition Order

   In the expression 6 + 3 * 2, which operation is performed first according to standard operator precedence rules?

   1. Multiplication
   2. Addition
   3. Subtraction
   4. Exponentiation

   Explanation: Multiplication has higher precedence than addition, so 3 * 2 is evaluated first, resulting in 6. Addition would only be performed first if it had higher precedence, which it does not. Subtraction and exponentiation are not present in this expression, making them incorrect distractors. Understanding precedence helps avoid miscalculations in complex expressions.

2. Associativity of Assignment Operators

   Given the statement a = b = c = 5, how does the associativity of the assignment operator affect the evaluation order?

   1. Assignment depends on variable declaration order
   2. Assignment is left-to-right, so a is assigned 5 first
   3. All variables are assigned simultaneously
   4. Assignment is right-to-left, so c is assigned 5 first

   Explanation: Assignment operators are generally right-associative, meaning evaluation starts from the rightmost operator. So c receives 5 first, then b gets c's value, then a gets b's value. The left-to-right option is incorrect as assignment does not associate this way. Variables are not assigned simultaneously, and order is not based on declaration.

3. Parentheses Effect on Precedence

   What is the value of the expression (8 - 3) * 2 + 1 according to precedence and associativity rules?

   1. 7
   2. 15
   3. 11
   4. 3

   Explanation: Parentheses have the highest precedence, so 8 - 3 is evaluated first, giving 5. Next, 5 * 2 results in 10, and finally, adding 1 gives a total of 11. Option 7 ignores multiplication; 15 misapplies addition precedence; 3 misrepresents the calculation entirely.

4. Logical AND vs. OR

   For the expression true || false u0026u0026 false, which logical operator is evaluated first based on standard precedence?

   1. Logical NOT (!)
   2. Logical OR (||)
   3. Logical AND (u0026u0026)
   4. All at the same time

   Explanation: Logical AND has higher precedence than logical OR, so false u0026u0026 false is evaluated first, resulting in false. OR is then applied to true and the result, producing true overall. Logical NOT is not present in the expression, and evaluation is not simultaneous among operators.

5. Ternary vs. Addition Operators

   In the code fragment x = 2 + 3 u003E 4 ? 10 : 0;, which operation is evaluated first?

   1. Comparison (3 u003E 4)
   2. Ternary decision (? :)
   3. Addition (2 + 3)
   4. Assignment (=)

   Explanation: Addition is evaluated first because it has higher precedence than the greater-than and ternary operators. The comparison is evaluated after addition, deciding which value the ternary selects. Assignment always occurs last. The distractors either precede evaluation incorrectly or represent operations with lower precedence.