microbit python tutorial: shake 'n' burn fire simulator

In this stage we’re going to make it so that you can shake the micro:bit to stoke up the fire when it burns down too low.

Add the final bits of code that are highlighted:

from microbit import *
import random

# create an empty image
i = Image("00000:"*5)

# start with the fire at medium intensity
intensity = 0.5

# keep looping
while True:
    # show the image and wait
    display.show(i)
    sleep(100)
    
    # shake the micro:bit to stoke the fire
    if accelerometer.was_gesture("shake"):
        intensity = 1
    
    # shift the image up and fade it slightly
    i = i.shift_up(1) * intensity
    
    # let the fire burn down a little (reduce the intensity)
    intensity *= 0.98
    
    # choose random brightness for bottom row of fire
    for x in range(5):
        i.set_pixel(x, 4, random.randint(0,9))

Line 17 checks to see if the micro:bit has been shaken. If it has, line 18 sets the value stored in the variable called intensity to 1.0. This is called conditional code or selection because your code is making a choice / selection based on a condition (in this case, has it been shaken)

Find and fix the errors

Below is some code that has been deliberately sabotaged with three errors:

A syntax error is stopping the code from running at all.

A runtime error is making the program crash after it’s started to run

A logical error is making the program behave differently to what we’d like.