Which statement is true about primitive variables?

Question

Options

• AThey can be compared with the == operator.
• BThey can be compared with the equals method only.
• CThey cannot be compared.
• DThey can be compared with the compareTo method only.

• A
  4% (1)
• B
  87% (20)
• D
  9% (2)

Explanation

There appears to be an error in this question's answer key. Option A is actually correct, not B.

Why A is correct: Primitive variables in Java (int, double, char, boolean, etc.) are compared using the == operator, which directly compares their values. For example, int a = 5; int b = 5; a == b evaluates to true.

Why B is wrong: The equals() method is defined on Object - primitives are not objects, so they have no methods at all. You cannot call .equals() on a primitive; doing so causes a compile error.

Why C is wrong: Primitives absolutely can be compared - ==, <, >, <=, and >= all work on numeric primitives.

Why D is wrong: compareTo() is an interface method from Comparable, available only on objects (like Integer, String), not raw primitives.

Memory tip: Primitives are simple values, not objects - so they use simple operators (==), never methods (.equals(), .compareTo()). If you see a dot, you're dealing with an object.

Note for exam takers: If this question appeared on your actual exam with B marked correct, it is a flawed question. Flag it to your instructor - the correct answer per standard Java is A.

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