In programming, which statement is true about a variable named count?

• A. It cannot be changed after initialization
• B. It must always hold zero
• C. Its value can change during execution
• D. It cannot be used in arithmetic

Answer: (C)

A variable is a storage location whose value can be updated as the program runs. For a counter like count, you typically change its value as events occur—incrementing it, decrementing it, or assigning a new value—so its value changes during execution. For example, count = count + 1 shows how the value evolves over time. The other ideas aren’t generally true: a variable doesn’t have to stay the same after it’s set unless you’ve declared it as a constant; starting at zero is common but not a universal rule; and variables are routinely used in arithmetic, such as adding to or comparing their values.