Congratulations on completing question 7 on Program-AI with a score of 75%! That's a great start! Now, let me explain the purpose of variables in programming. **What are variables?** In programming, a variable is a name given to a value that can be stored and used throughout your code. Think of it like a labeled box where you can store and retrieve values as needed. **Why do we need variables?** Variables serve several purposes: 1. **Storage**: Variables allow you to store values for future use. You can assign a value to a variable and then reuse that value in different parts of your code. 2. **Flexibility**: With variables, you can easily change the value stored within without affecting other parts of your code. 3. **Reusability**: Variables enable you to write more modular and reusable code by allowing you to store values that can be used across multiple functions or procedures. **Real-world analogy** Think of variables like a digital sticky note on your computer desktop. You can jot down a reminder, like "Buy milk," and then come back later to review it. Variables work similarly; they allow you to store values and access them as needed, making your code more efficient and easier to manage. **Example** Suppose you're building a simple calculator program that takes two numbers as input and calculates their sum. You can use variables to store these numbers and then perform calculations on them: ``` num1 = 5 num2 = 3 result = num1 + num2 print(result) # Output: 8 ``` In this example, `num1` and `num2` are variables that store the input values. The result of the calculation is stored in another variable, `result`, which can then be printed or used further in your code. Now, go ahead and celebrate your 75% score on question 7!