What best describes an array in C?

An array in C is defined as a collection of elements of the same type stored in contiguous memory locations. This means that when you declare an array, you specify a data type, such as int, float, or char, and the array can hold multiple values of that type. For instance, if you declare an integer array of size 5, it can store five integer values in a consecutive block of memory.

The reason this definition is critical is that it enables efficient access to the array elements. Each element can be accessed using an index, with the first element at index 0 and the last element at index (size - 1). By storing elements contiguously, the array is allowed fast access through pointer arithmetic and has predictable memory layout, which aids performance and optimization in programs.

This representation contrasts with other options where a single element does not adequately describe an array, and a grouping of heterogeneous elements would refer to a different data structure, such as a structure (struct) or union, rather than an array. Additionally, while a variable can store a memory address, it does not encapsulate the concept of an array itself. Thus, the classification of an array in C is best captured by the notion of a collection of elements of