Python Program to Add an Element to a Set

Introduction

Sets in Python are collections of unique elements. Since sets are mutable, you can add elements to a set after it has been created. This tutorial will guide you through creating a Python program that demonstrates how to add an element to a set.

Example:

• Initial Set: {'apple', 'banana', 'cherry'}
• Element to Add: 'date'
• Output Set: {'apple', 'banana', 'cherry', 'date'}

Problem Statement

Create a Python program that:

• Takes an initial set.
• Adds a new element to the set.
• Displays the updated set.

Solution Steps

1. Create a Set: Initialize a set with some elements.
2. Add an Element to the Set: Use the add() method to add a new element to the set.
3. Display the Updated Set: Use the print() function to display the updated set.

Python Program

# Python Program to Add an Element to a Set # Author: https://www.rameshfadatare.com/ # Step 1: Create a set with elements my_set = {'apple', 'banana', 'cherry'} # Step 2: Add a new element to the set my_set.add('date') # Step 3: Display the updated set print("The updated set is:", my_set) 

Explanation

Step 1: Create a Set with Elements

• A set my_set is created with initial elements: 'apple', 'banana', and 'cherry'. Sets are defined using curly braces {}.

Step 2: Add a New Element to the Set Using the add() Method

• The add() method is used to add a new element 'date' to the set my_set. If the element already exists in the set, the set remains unchanged, as sets do not allow duplicate elements.

Step 3: Display the Updated Set

• The print() function is used to display the updated set my_set.

Output Example

Example Output:

The updated set is: {'apple', 'banana', 'cherry', 'date'} 

Additional Examples

Example 1: Adding an Element That Already Exists

# Set with initial elements my_set = {'apple', 'banana', 'cherry'} # Attempt to add an existing element my_set.add('apple') print("The updated set is:", my_set) 

Output:

The updated set is: {'apple', 'banana', 'cherry'} 

Example 2: Adding Multiple Elements Using a Loop

# Set with initial elements my_set = {'apple', 'banana', 'cherry'} # List of elements to add new_elements = ['date', 'elderberry', 'fig'] # Add elements to the set for element in new_elements: my_set.add(element) print("The updated set is:", my_set) 

Output:

The updated set is: {'apple', 'banana', 'cherry', 'fig', 'date', 'elderberry'} 

Example 3: Adding an Element to an Empty Set

# Create an empty set empty_set = set() # Add an element to the empty set empty_set.add('apple') print("The updated set is:", empty_set) 

Output:

The updated set is: {'apple'} 

Conclusion

This Python program demonstrates how to add an element to a set using the add() method. Adding elements to a set is a straightforward and efficient operation, and it’s essential to understand that sets automatically handle duplicates. Understanding how to modify sets by adding elements is important for working with collections of unique items in Python.