5: User-Defined Functions

In Python you can make your own functions with the "def" statement.

Note, you must end it with a colon, and all of the lines in the function statement must be indented, as in the following generic code.

#Syntax for a Function
def function_name():
    action1
    action2....

Density Function

The following code creates a function called "density_function"

Codebox1:

def density_function():
  mass = float(input("Enter mass in g"))
  volume = float(input("Enter volume in mL"))
  density=mass/volume
  print(f"{mass}g and {volume}mL give a density of {density}g/mL")

 

Exercise \(\PageIndex{1}\)

Click the run command for the density_function (Codebox 1).  You notice nothing happens.  Why? Is there an error?

Answer

All you did was create the function.  There is no error, you never called the function.

 

Now call the density function by clicking run in codebox 2.

Codebox 2:

density_function() #this command calls the function

Exercise \(\PageIndex{2}\)

Now refresh the web page so it reloads, and call the density function without running it (run Codebox 2 without running Codebox 1).   You get an error statement.  Why?.

Answer

You have a name space error because you have not created the density function.

NameError                                 Traceback (most recent call last)
<ipython-input-1-22a51af5250c> in <module>
----> 1 density_function() #this command calls the function

NameError: name 'density_function' is not defined

Now run Codebox 3 without running Codebox 1:

Codebox 3:

def density_function():
  mass = float(input("Enter mass in g"))
  volume = float(input("Enter volume in mL"))
  density=mass/volume
  print(f"{mass}g and {volume}mL give a density of {density}g/mL")
density_function()

        hello world
      

Exercise \(\PageIndex{3}\)

Now after running codebox 3 go ahead and run codebox 2 (without running codebox 1).  Why does it work?

Answer

Because the last line called the function