What does the except block do in Python exception handling?

a) Catches and handles exceptions that occur in the try block

b) Executes after the try block, regardless of exceptions

c) Cleans up resources after the try block

d) Raises a new exception

Answer:

a) Catches and handles exceptions that occur in the try block

Explanation:

The except block in Python exception handling is used to catch and handle exceptions that occur in the try block. When an exception is raised, the except block that matches the type of the exception is executed. This allows you to respond to specific errors and take appropriate action.

try:
    # Code that might raise an exception
    result = 10 / 0
except ZeroDivisionError:
    # Code to handle the ZeroDivisionError
    print("Error: Division by zero is not allowed.")

In this example, the except block catches the ZeroDivisionError raised in the try block and prints an error message. Without the except block, the program would crash.

The except block is essential for handling exceptions and preventing your program from terminating unexpectedly due to unhandled errors.