← ACARA Digital Technologies Years 7–8

Adding a condition column to a trace table

A trace table column headed by a condition, such as age >= 13, that records TRUE or FALSE on each row so you can see which path the algorithm took and why.

Part of: ACARA Digital Technologies Years 7–8 — Tracing and Debugging Algorithms — Module 14, WA Computer Science ATAR Year 11 — Pseudocode and Algorithm Design — Module 59

Understanding Adding a condition column to a trace table in ACARA Digital Technologies Years 7–8

What it does: The column heading copies the IF condition. Its TRUE or FALSE entry shows which branch ran. Splitting the compound condition into parts lets you check each part by itself before you combine them with AND or OR. 72 is greater than or equal to 50, so the condition is TRUE. FALSE means the test failed, so the THEN steps are skipped. Having a value in the column does not make the IF run.

Common mistakes: A condition column must be headed by a condition that can be TRUE or FALSE. 'age + 13' is a calculation, not a condition. The heading should be 'age >= 13'. 51 > 50 is TRUE, so the condition column must show TRUE. This row also shows the output Pass, which only happens on the TRUE path.

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Learning
Duo
A trace table has a column headed 'score >= 50'. What goes in that column on each row?
TRUE or FALSEThe value of score
Matches
Column heading: score | Row entry: 72 (under the IF score >= 50 test)
↓
The column holds the value 72 instead of TRUE or FALSE. A condition column should be headed score >= 50 and record TRUE.
Applying
Meanings
Term
condition column
Meaning
A trace table column headed by a condition, such as age >= 13, that records TRUE or FALSE on each row so you can see which path the algorithm took and why.
Practice
age | age >= 13 | age <= 17 | AND
Testing
Gaps
score | score 50 | OUTPUT
Check Answer
Spots
1age | age >= 13 | OUTPUT
2age | age + 13 | OUTPUT

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Quick Questions

1. A trace table has a column headed 'score >= 50'. What goes in that column on each row?
A. The value of score
B. TRUE or FALSE ✓
A condition column records the result of the test, TRUE or FALSE. The value of score belongs in the score column.
2. Which column heading is a good condition column?
A. age >= 13 ✓
B. age
A condition column is headed by the condition itself, like age >= 13. A heading of just age is a variable column.
3. score is 72 and the column heading is 'score >= 50'. What do you write?
A. TRUE ✓
B. FALSE
72 is greater than or equal to 50, so the condition is TRUE.
4. temp is 15 and the column heading is 'temp > 20'. What do you write?
A. TRUE
B. FALSE ✓
15 is not greater than 20, so the condition is FALSE. The ELSE path would be taken.
5. The condition column shows FALSE for 'lives = 0'. What does this tell you?
A. The game is not over yet, so the IF part is skipped ✓
B. The IF part runs because the column has a value
FALSE means the test failed, so the THEN steps are skipped. Having a value in the column does not make the IF run.

Match the Pairs

score >= 50 → A condition column heading: write TRUE or FALSE on each row to show whether the score passed the test.
age >= 13 AND hasPermission = TRUE → A compound condition: check each part separately, then combine the results. It is TRUE only if both parts are TRUE.
A condition column records TRUE or FALSE on every row, so you can see which path (THEN or ELSE) was taken and why. → IF temp > 30 THEN with a column headed: temp > 30
To trace a compound condition, add one column for each part and then one for the whole condition. → Columns: x > 5 | y < 10 | x > 5 OR y < 10
Column heading: score | Row entry: 72 (under the IF score >= 50 test) → The column holds the value 72 instead of TRUE or FALSE. A condition column should be headed score >= 50 and record TRUE.
Row: age = 12, column age >= 13 AND hasPermission = TRUE, entry TRUE (hasPermission is TRUE) → age >= 13 is FALSE because 12 is less than 13. With AND, one FALSE part makes the whole condition FALSE, so the entry should be FALSE.

Key Term

condition column
A trace table column headed by a condition, such as age >= 13, that records TRUE or FALSE on each row so you can see which path the algorithm took and why.

Fill in the Blanks

1. IF score > 50 THEN score | score > 50 | OUTPUT
Hint: Type the relational operator that makes the column heading match the IF condition.
2. IF age >= 13 THEN age = 12 | age >= 13 | FALSE
Hint: Type the TRUE or FALSE value this row records when age is 12.
3. IF age >= 13 AND age <= 17 THEN age | age >= 13 AND age <= 17 | OUTPUT
Hint: Type the logical operator that joins the two parts in the column heading.
4. IF age >= 13 AND age <= 17 THEN 20 | age >= 13: TRUE | age <= 17: FALSE
Hint: Check the second part on its own. Is 20 at most 17? Type TRUE or FALSE.
5. IF day = "Sat" OR day = "Sun" THEN Sat | TRUE | FALSE | TRUE
Hint: Type the overall result of the OR condition when one part is TRUE and one is FALSE.

Spot the Error

Question 1
A age | age >= 13 | OUTPUT
B age | age + 13 | OUTPUT
C 13 | TRUE | Teen
D 15 | TRUE | Teen
Line B — A condition column must be headed by a condition that can be TRUE or FALSE. 'age + 13' is a calculation, not a condition. The heading should be 'age >= 13'.
Question 2
A score | score > 50 | OUTPUT
B 40 | FALSE | Try again
C 50 | FALSE | Try again
D 51 | FALSE | Pass
E 90 | TRUE | Pass
Line D — 51 > 50 is TRUE, so the condition column must show TRUE. This row also shows the output Pass, which only happens on the TRUE path.
Question 3
A temp | TRUE | OUTPUT
B 35 | TRUE | Hot
C 25 | FALSE | Mild
D 30 | FALSE | Mild
Line A — TRUE is a value that goes in the rows, not the heading. The heading must be the condition itself, 'temp > 30', so you know what is being tested.
Question 4
A age | age>=13 | age<=17 | AND
B 12 | FALSE | TRUE | FALSE
C 15 | TRUE | TRUE | TRUE
D 18 | TRUE | FALSE | TRUE
Line D — AND is only TRUE when both parts are TRUE. Here age<=17 is FALSE, so the AND column must be FALSE.
Question 5
A day | day=Sat | day=Sun | OR
B Fri | FALSE | FALSE | FALSE
C Sat | TRUE | FALSE | FALSE
D Sun | FALSE | TRUE | TRUE
Line C — OR is TRUE when at least one part is TRUE. day=Sat is TRUE, so the OR column must be TRUE, not FALSE.

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