Python help for Loop

Question

student_heights = input("Input a list of studen heights ").split()

total_height = 0
for height in student_heights:
  total_height += height
print(total_height)

number_of_students = 0
for student in student_heights:
  number_of_students += 1
print(number_of_students)

Im following with the teacher on a online course and I don't see what im doing wrong.

the error I am getting is

Traceback (most recent call last):
  File "main.py", line 5, in <module>
    total_height += height
TypeError: unsupported operand type(s) for +=: 'int' and 'str'

`student_heights = input("Input a list of studen heights ").split()` -> `student_heights = list(map(int,input("Input a list of studen heights ").split()))` — 138 Aspen, Jan 15 '23 at 05:11
Does this answer your question? [How can I read inputs as numbers?](https://stackoverflow.com/questions/20449427/how-can-i-read-inputs-as-numbers) — Ignatius Reilly, Jan 15 '23 at 06:01

score 1 · Answer 1 · answered Jan 15 '23 at 05:09

The issue is that your total_height variable is a number, but your height variable is a string, because the input() function returns a string. In order to add these two variables, you must first convert height to a integer with int(height). Like this:

student_heights = input("Input a list of studen heights ").split()

total_height = 0
for height in student_heights:
  total_height += int(height)
print(total_height)

number_of_students = 0
for student in student_heights:
  number_of_students += 1
print(number_of_students)

Alternatively, you can convert the student_heights list into a list of numbers from the beginning with map(). This might make your code a bit more intuitive. Like this:

student_heights = map(int, input("Input a list of studen heights ").split())

total_height = 0
for height in student_heights:
  total_height += height
print(total_height)

number_of_students = 0
for student in student_heights:
  number_of_students += 1
print(number_of_students)

Python help for Loop

1 Answers1