Arrays are one of the most important concepts in C programming. They help store multiple values of the same data type in a single variable. Many beginner and interview level programs are based on arrays because they improve problem solving skills and logic building.
This article covers some common array programs in C with code, output, and explanation.
 

Table of Contents

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Program to Find Sum of Array Elements

This program adds all elements present in an array.

// C program to find the sum of 
// array elements
#include stdio.h

int main() 
{
    int arr[5] = {10, 20, 30, 40, 50};
    int sum = 0;
    int i;

    for(i = 0; i  5; i++) 
    {
        sum = sum + arr[i];
    }

    printf("Sum = %d", sum);

    return 0;
}

Output:

Sum = 150

Explanation:
The loop visits each element of the array and keeps adding it to the sum variable.

Program to Find Largest Element in an Array

This program finds the highest value stored in the array.

// C program to find largest 
// element in an array
#include stdio.h

int main() 
{
    int arr[5] = {25, 40, 15, 90, 60};
    int max = arr[0];
    int i;

    for(i = 1; i  5; i++) 
    {
        if(arr[i]  max) {
            max = arr[i];
        }
    }

    printf("Largest Element = %d", max);

    return 0;
}

Output:

Largest Element = 90

Explanation:
The first element is assumed as the largest value. The loop compares every element and updates the maximum value.

Program to Find Smallest Element in an Array

This program identifies the minimum value in the array.

// C program to find smallest
// element in an array
#include stdio.h

int main() 
{
    int arr[5] = {25, 40, 15, 90, 60};
    int min = arr[0];
    int i;

    for(i = 1; i  5; i++) 
    {
        if(arr[i]  min) {
            min = arr[i];
        }
    }

    printf("Smallest Element = %d", min);

    return 0;
}

Output:

Smallest Element = 15

Explanation:
The program checks every element and stores the smallest value found.

Program to Reverse an Array

This program prints array elements in reverse order.

// C program to reverse an array
#include stdio.h

int main() 
{
    int arr[5] = {1, 2, 3, 4, 5};
    int i;

    printf("Reversed Array: ");

    for(i = 4; i = 0; i--) 
    {
        printf("%d ", arr[i]);
    }

    return 0;
}

Output:

Reversed Array: 5 4 3 2 1 

Explanation:
The loop starts from the last index and prints elements until the first index.

Program to Count Even and Odd Numbers

This program counts even and odd elements separately.

// C program to count even 
// and odd numbers
#include stdio.h

int main() 
{
    int arr[6] = {12, 7, 18, 5, 20, 9};
    int even = 0, odd = 0;
    int i;

    for(i = 0; i  6; i++) 
    {
        if(arr[i] % 2 == 0)
            even++;
        else
            odd++;
    }

    printf("Even Numbers = %d\n", even);
    printf("Odd Numbers = %d", odd);

    return 0;
}

Output:

Even Numbers = 3
Odd Numbers = 3

Explanation:
If a number is divisible by 2, it is counted as even. Otherwise, it is counted as odd.

Program to Sort Array Elements in Ascending Order

This program arranges elements from smaller to larger values.

// C program to sort array elements
// in ascending order
#include stdio.h

int main() 
{
    int arr[5] = {50, 10, 30, 20, 40};
    int i, j, temp;

    for(i = 0; i  5; i++) 
    {
        for(j = i + 1; j  5; j++) 
        {
            if(arr[i]  arr[j]) 
            {
                temp = arr[i];
                arr[i] = arr[j];
                arr[j] = temp;
            }
        }
    }

    printf("Sorted Array: ");

    for(i = 0; i  5; i++) 
    {
        printf("%d ", arr[i]);
    }

    return 0;
}

Output:

Sorted Array: 10 20 30 40 50 

Explanation:
The program compares elements and swaps them whenever a smaller value is found.

Key Points About Array Programs

1. Element Access Using Index: Array elements are accessed using index numbers starting from 0.
2. Fixed Size Storage: The size of an array is decided during declaration and cannot change later.
3. Same Data Type Storage: An array stores only one type of data such as integers, characters, or floats.
4. Useful for Loop Operations: Arrays work efficiently with loops for searching, sorting, and calculations.
5. Important for Interview Preparation: Many placement and coding interview questions are based on array concepts.

Conclusion

Array programs are commonly asked in C programming assignments, exams, and interviews. Learning basic operations such as finding sum, maximum value, sorting, and reversing helps build strong programming logic. Once these programs become easy, you can move to searching algorithms, matrix operations, and advanced array problems.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. What is an array in C?

An array is a collection of elements of the same data type stored in continuous memory locations.

2. Why are arrays used in C?

Arrays help store and manage multiple values using a single variable name.

3. Can arrays store different data types together?

No, arrays can store only one data type at a time.

4. Which loop is mostly used with arrays?

The for loop is most commonly used for array traversal.

5. Are array programs important for interviews?

Yes, array based questions are frequently asked in coding tests and technical interviews.