Q 29 - Static vs Instance

[HARSHITH-MV]

Dif btw static and instance variable ?

[AmjustGettingStarted]

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✅ Difference Between Static and Instance Variables in Java

Feature	Static Variable	Instance Variable
Definition	Belongs to the class, shared by all objects	Belongs to the object, unique for each instance
Memory Allocation	Allocated once in memory (class area)	Allocated each time an object is created
Accessed Using	ClassName.variableName or via object	Only via object reference
Scope	Common to all objects of the class	Specific to each object
Usage	For constants, counters, configurations, etc.	For storing object-specific state
Modifier	Declared using the static keyword	No static keyword needed
Lifetime	Exists till the program ends	Exists till the object is referenced

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🧠 Example:

public class Car {
    // Static variable (shared)
    static int numberOfWheels = 4;
// Instance variable (unique)
String color;

public Car(String color) {
    this.color = color;
}

}

Usage:

Car car1 = new Car("Red");
Car car2 = new Car("Blue");
System.out.println(car1.color);         // Red

System.out.println(car2.color);         // Blue
System.out.println(Car.numberOfWheels); // 4 (shared)

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✅ Quick Summary

• Static → class-level, shared, one copy

• Instance → object-level, unique per object

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