How is the loop index incremented in a FOR LOOP statement by default?

In a FOR LOOP statement, the loop index is incremented by 1 by default. Here's a step-by-step explanation:

1. Initialization: When a FOR LOOP is first encountered, the loop index (also known as the loop variable) is initialized to a starting value. This is usually specified in the loop statement itself. For example, in the loop "for i = 0; i < 10; i++", the loop index "i" is initialized to 0.

2. Condition Check: Before each iteration of the loop, a condition is checked. In the example above, the condition is "i < 10". If this condition is true, the loop continues. If it's false, the loop ends and the program continues with the next line of code after the loop.

3. Increment: After each iteration of the loop, the loop index is incremented. By default, this increment is 1. In the example above, "i++" is shorthand for "i = i + 1", which increments "i" by 1.

4. Repeat: Steps 2 and 3 are repeated until the condition in step 2 is false. In the example above, this means the loop will run 10 times, with "i" taking on the values 0 through 9.

So, by default, the loop index in a FOR LOOP statement is incremented by 1 each time the loop runs.