The aim of this challenge is to create an “Odd One Out” quiz on storage devices using Python. But let’s first revisit the main technologies used by storage devices in a computer system.

We can categorise all the storage devices found within a computer system into three main categories based on the technology they rely on to store binary data:

Magnetic Storage Devices

Magnetic storage devices such as magnetic tapes, floppy disks, and hard disk drives (HDD). A hard drive contains a spinning disk coated with a magnetic material. A read/write head moves over the disk, changing the magnetic properties to store data. Magnetic tapes work similarly, but data is stored in a linear format on a magnetic ribbon (tape).

Optical Storage Devices

Optical storage devices such as CDs, DVDs and Blu-ray disks. With this technology, data is stored on the disc as tiny pits (dents) and lands (flat areas). A laser shines onto the surface, and the reflection is interpreted as binary data (1s and 0s) by a computer.

Flash/Solid State Storage Devices

Flash (a.k.a. solid state) storage devices such as USB Keys, SD cards, Micro-SD cards and Solid Sate Drives (SSD). Data is stored in memory chips that can be accessed almost instantly. These chips are made of semiconductors, which can retain data even when the device is powered off.

Python Quiz

For the purpose of this quiz we have stored the information regarding the different storage devices used in a computer system and their technology using three lists in Python:

optical = ["CD","DVD","Blu-ray"]
magnetic = ["Magnetic Tape","Floppy Disk","Hard Disk Drive (HDD)"]
flash = ["USB Key","SD Card","Micro-SD Card","Solid State Drive (SSD)"]

Using Python, you can easily merge two or more lists together using the + operator. e.g. to create a list containing all the storage devices:

allDevices = optical + magnetic + flash

Using the random library you can use two key functions shuffle() and choice():

import random

# Shuffle all the values of a list:
random.shuffle(allDevices)
print(allDevices)

# Pick a random value from a list:
randomDevice = random.choice(allDevices)
print(randomDevice)

Odd One Out Quiz

Your task is to create a 10-question quiz where for each question, the computer will randomly pick 2 storage devices of the same technology (e.g. two optical devices) and one random device from a different technology (e.g. either magnetic or flash). The computer will then display these three devices in a random order and ask the user to identify which of the three device is the odd one out.

For each correct answer the user should score 1 point. At the end of the 10 questions, the user should see their score out of 10.

Python Code

To complete this Python challenge you will need to complete the code below:

Solution...

The solution for this challenge is available to full members!
Find out how to become a member:
➤ Members' Area

For this quiz we will use a data set of 10 of the most iconic mountains in the world.

Here is our data set, displayed as a table:

This data set will be stored in a Python program using a 2D array (list of lists) as follows:

mountains = [["Mount Everest","Nepal / Tibet",8849],
             ["Mount K2","Pakistan / China",8611],
             ["Mount Aconcagua","Argentina",6959],
             ["Mount McKinley","Alaska, USA",6190],
             ["Mount Kilimanjaro","Tanzania",5895],
             ["Mount Kenya","Kenya",5199],
             ["Mount Blanc","France",4809],
             ["Mount Fuji","Japan",3776],
             ["Mount Etna","Italy",3369],
             ["Ben Nevis","Scotland, UK",1345]]

Using the random library we can easily pick a random peak from this 2D array and display its name, location and elevation:

import random

number = random.randint(0,len(mountains)-1)
peak = mountains[number]
name = peak[0]
location = peak[1]
elevation = peak[2]
print(">>> Did you know?")
print(name + " is located in " + location + " and rises to " + str(elevation) + " meters." )

Your challenge

Your task is to create a quiz based on this data set. The rules of the quiz are as follows:

 A player starts with a health of 10,000 points and a score of 0.
 The computer randomly selects a peak from the data set and displays the name of the peak and its location.
 It then asks the player to estimate the elevation of the selected peak.
 The computer calculates the difference in meters between the answer given by the player and the real elevation of the peak and deducts this difference from the player’s health score.
 If the player’s health score is positive, then the player’s score goes up by 1 point.
 The quiz repeats itself for as long as the player’s health score remains positive.
 Once the player’s health score reaches zero or a negative value, a game over message is displayed alongside the player’s total score.

Python Code

You can complete your quiz by editing the Python code below:

Solution...

The solution for this challenge is available to full members!
Find out how to become a member:
➤ Members' Area

For this challenge you are going to create a quiz based on some of the most iconic buildings in the world. We have selected a collection of 20 buildings with their name, height in meters and location. This data is stored in a CSV file called iconic-buildings.csv.

We have started the code for this quiz by using the random library in Python to randomly select one building (one line) from the csv file. We are then extracting the information on this line to display a “did you know?” statement about this building.

You can test our Python code below:

Quiz #1 – Where in the world?

You task is to create a set of quizzes using this data file.

Your first quiz should randomly pick a building, display its name and height and ask the user if they can guess the country this building is from. The quiz should have 10 questions and at the end it should give the user a total score out of 10. Finally once a quiz is completed, the program should ask the user if they want to play again.

Quiz #2 – Which building is taller?

Your second quiz will randomly select and display the name and location of two buildings from the csv file and ask the player to decide which building is taller. The quiz should repeat this process for as long as the player is guessing correctly. The quiz should automatically stop when the user gives an incorrect answer. In this case, a total score (total number of correct guesses) should be displayed on the screen.

To finalise this project, you should add a menu screen giving the option for the user to decide which quiz they would like to complete.

Solution...

The solution for this challenge is available to full members!
Find out how to become a member:
➤ Members' Area

Your school is organising an open evening event where prospective parents will be able to visit the different classrooms and departments to get to find out more about the school and meet with the teachers. Parents have been given a list of rooms and activities going on during this open evening. The school will use students leaders to help guide the parents between the different buildings. The school would also like to develop an App for parents to use on their phones to help them locate a room. They would like this app to:

• Let the parent enter the name of a room (e.g. Sports Hall) or its room code (e.g. A205).
• The App should indicate in which building this room is located and on what floor it is.

The school consists of 5 main buildings: The A Block, the B Block, the C Block, a 6th Form Block and a Sports Hall.

The A, B and C blocks have three floors. Each classroom within these blocks is given a code such as A205. The first letter of this code is referring to the building (e.g. A for A Block).
The number is based on which floor the room is on:

• Classrooms with a number lower than 100 are on the ground floor. (e.g. A15, B7, C23)
• Classrooms with a number between 100 and 199 are located on the first floor. (e.g. A101, B120, C119)
• Classrooms with a number of 200 and above are located on the second floor. (e.g. A205, B220, C231)

The Sixth Form block only contains two floors: the ground floor and the first floor. Classrooms in the 6th form block have a code starting with letter S.

• Classrooms with a number lower than 20 are on the ground floor. (e.g. S4, S15)
• Classrooms with a number of 20 and above are located on the first floor (e.g. S20, S27)

Other rooms of the school (other than classrooms) do not have a specific code. They include the Main Reception, the Dance Studio, the Activity Studio, the Sports Hall, the Staffroom and the Canteen. These are spread around the school site within the different blocks. Specific instructions on where these are located also need to be provided by the App.

Your Task

Last year, the head of school asked one of the Computer Science GCSE students to produce the code for this App. Initially, the app was not meant to cater for the 6th From block as it was not used for the open evening. This year however, the 6th form block will be accessible by parents. The student who created the App has now passed his GCSE and left the school. We therefore need you to look at their code and complete the code to make sure that it does provide instructions to locate classrooms from the 6th form block.

A new Coffee Bar has also been created on the first floor of the C block. You will need to amend the code to also include directions to the Coffee Bar.

We have also realised an issue with the code. If a parent enters a room code for a building that does not exists (e.g. D102) the app should tell them that this room does not exist. This is not the case currently. Can you fix this code to make sure only valid room codes starting with A, B, C or S or valid room names are used.

Test Plan

To make sure your app is fully working as expected, you will have to make sure that it passes the following 10 tests!

Python Code

Here is the Python code for the App so far…

Extension Task

Adapt this whole code to make it work for your school. Find out how room codes are used and tweak the code accordingly.

Solution...

The solution for this challenge is available to full members!
Find out how to become a member:
➤ Members' Area

The aim of this challenge is to use Python Turtle to trace a path to solve this circular maze.

By doing so we will investigate how we can draw different arcs of different radiuses and different lengths to guide the Python turtle through the maze.

Our Python code will make use of a function called drawArc() that takes three parameters:

• The radius of the arc (in pixels)
• The starting angle of the arc (in degrees)
• The angle of the arc (in degrees)

To fully understand the purpose of these three parameters let’s look at the following three examples:

The third examples demonstrate how we can use a negative angle to change the direction of the arc. A positive angle draws an arc anti-clockwise, whereas a negative angle draws and arc clockwise.

Now let’s use Python Turtle to solve this challenge.

Python Code

We have started the code for you and drawn the first two arcs using our drawArc() function. Your task is to complete this code by drawing additional arc until you reach the exit gate.

To complete this challenge, you will have to use a trial and error approach, testing your code with different parameter values when using the drawArc(), forward() and setheading() functions and refining your code by tweaking these values.

Solution...

The solution for this challenge is available to full members!
Find out how to become a member:
➤ Members' Area

A pronic number is a number which is the product of two consecutive integers.

For instance 42 is a pronic number because 42 = 6 x 7.

One approach to work out if a number n is a pronic number or not is to find out if there is a positive integer i lower than n that solve this equation: n = i(i+1).

If there is such a number i, then n is a pronic number.

Did you know?

Pronic numbers are also called oblong numbers or heteromecic numbers.

Python Challenge

Your task is to write new function called isPronic that takes one parameter, an integer value and returns True is the parameter is a pronic number, False otherwise.

You should then write a small program that will:

 Prompt the user to enter a number.
 Use the isPronic function to find out is the number entered is pronic or not.
 Produce a meaningful output to the end-user.

Extra Challenge

Reuse your function to write a new Python program that outputs all the pronic numbers between 0 and 1,000!

Python Code

Solution...

The solution for this challenge is available to full members!
Find out how to become a member:
➤ Members' Area