What is the difference between a list and a tuple in Python?

In Python, lists and tuples are both used to store collections of items. However, they have key differences in how they behave, which affects their use in programs.

✅ 1. Mutability

• List: Mutable – items can be added, removed, or changed.
• Tuple: Immutable – once created, items cannot be changed.

Example (list):

fruits = ["apple", "banana", "orange"]
fruits.append("mango")   # ✅ Add new item
fruits[0] = "grape"      # ✅ Change item

Example (tuple):

colors = ("red", "green", "blue")
# colors[0] = "yellow"   # ❌ TypeError

✅ 2. Syntax

• List: Use square brackets []
• Tuple: Use parentheses ()

my_list = [1, 2, 3]
my_tuple = (1, 2, 3)

✅ 3. Performance

• Tuple is faster than list for iteration and access, because tuples are immutable and optimized internally.
• Use tuple when data does not need to change for better performance.

✅ 4. Methods

• List has many built-in methods: append(), remove(), pop(), sort(), reverse()
• Tuple has very few methods: count(), index()
  (because it cannot be modified)

✅ 5. Use cases

• List:
  • Dynamic data that changes frequently
  • Example: Shopping cart items
• Tuple:
  • Fixed data that shouldn’t change
  • Example: RGB color codes, coordinates (x, y, z)

🔑 Summary Table

✅ Example of using both

# List for dynamic data
shopping_cart = ["apple", "banana"]
shopping_cart.append("mango")

# Tuple for fixed data
rgb = (255, 0, 0)

Takeaway:

• Use list when you need to modify your collection.
• Use tuple when the collection should stay constant and you want better performance.