In Python, sort() and sorted() are two different ways to sort elements in a list, tuple, or any iterable. They differ in how they work and their impact on the original data structure. Here’s a breakdown of the key differences between sort() and sorted():

1. Mutability:

• sort(): This method is called on a list in-place, meaning it modifies the original list directly and doesn’t return a new sorted list. It rearranges the elements within the existing list.
  my_list = [3, 1, 2]
my_list.sort()
# my_list is now [1, 2, 3]
• sorted(): The sorted() function, on the other hand, returns a new sorted list and leaves the original iterable unchanged. It doesn’t modify the input.
  my_list = [3, 1, 2]
sorted_list = sorted(my_list)
# my_list remains [3, 1, 2], sorted_list is [1, 2, 3]

1. Return Value:

• sort(): It returns None. Since it sorts the list in-place, there is no need to return a new list.
• sorted(): It returns a new sorted list, leaving the original iterable intact.

1. Applicability:

• sort(): It is a method specific to lists. You can’t use it directly on other iterable types like tuples or strings. It only works on lists.
• sorted(): It is a built-in function that can be applied to any iterable, not just lists. You can use it with tuples, strings, dictionaries, and other iterable types.

1. Custom Sorting: Both sort() and sorted() allow you to specify custom sorting criteria using the key argument. You can pass a function to key that defines how the elements should be compared during sorting.

   words = ["banana", "apple", "cherry"]

   # Sorting by the length of the words
   words.sort(key=len)
   # words is now ['apple', 'cherry', 'banana']

   sorted_words = sorted(words, key=lambda x: x[::-1])
   # sorted_words is now ['banana', 'cherry', 'apple']

In summary, sort() is used for in-place sorting of lists and doesn’t return a new sorted list. sorted() is a more versatile function that can be applied to various iterable types and returns a new sorted list without modifying the original iterable. The choice between them depends on whether you want to sort in-place or keep the original data unchanged.