Explain the difference between dynamic and static typing?

**Static Typing** and **Dynamic Typing** refer to how a programming language handles variable types.

1. **Static Typing**:

   - **Definition**: The type of a variable is determined at compile time and does not change during program execution.

   - **Example Languages**: C, C++, Java.

   - **Advantages**: Errors related to type mismatches are caught early, which can improve performance and code reliability.

   - **Example**:

     ```java

     int number = 5;  // 'number' is explicitly typed as an integer.

     ```

2. **Dynamic Typing**:

   - **Definition**: The type of a variable is determined at runtime and can change during program execution.

   - **Example Languages**: Python, JavaScript, Ruby.

   - **Advantages**: Greater flexibility and ease of use, especially for scripting and rapid development.

   - **Example**:

     ```python

     number = 5  # 'number' can be assigned any type, e.g., integer or string.

     number = "Hello"  # Now 'number' is a string.

     ```

In summary, static typing enforces type constraints at compile time, while dynamic typing does so at runtime, impacting flexibility and error checking.