b. What is the difference between * and ** operators in Python? Explain with the help of an example.

The * and ** operators in Python are used for different purposes.

1. • Operator: The single asterisk operator * in Python is used for multiplication in arithmetic operations. However, in the context of functions, it is used for unpacking. It allows you to pass items from an iterable (like list, tuple, etc.) as separate arguments to a function.

Example:

# Arithmetic operation
result = 5 * 5  # result is 25

# Unpacking
def func(a, b, c):
    print(a, b, c)

args = [1, 2, 3]
func(*args)  # prints: 1 2 3

2. ** Operator: The double asterisk operator ** in Python is used for exponentiation in arithmetic operations. In the context of functions, it is used for unpacking dictionaries. It allows you to pass items from a dictionary as keyword arguments to a function.

Example:

# Arithmetic operation
result = 2 ** 3  # result is 8

# Unpacking
def func(a, b, c):
    print(a, b, c)

kwargs = {'a': 1, 'b': 2, 'c': 3}
func(**kwargs)  # prints: 1 2 3

In summary, * is used for unpacking lists or tuples into positional arguments, while ** is used for unpacking dictionaries into keyword arguments.