What is the difference between `is` and `==` in Python?

The distinction between is and == in Python is fundamental for understanding object comparison. The correct answer indicates that is checks for identity, meaning it verifies whether two references point to the same object in memory. In contrast, == checks for equality, determining if the values of two objects are equivalent, regardless of whether they are the same object.

For example, when you have two lists with the same contents, == will return True because the contents are equal. However, if you created those lists separately, is would return False, as they are distinct objects located at different memory addresses.

Understanding this difference is crucial, especially in scenarios involving mutable objects (like lists or dictionaries) where modifications to one object will not affect another unless both refer to the same object. This distinction helps prevent subtle bugs in code where the assumption of object identity might lead to incorrect conclusions about equality and vice versa.