In the following Java code, what will be printed to the console? Object s1 = new String("Hello"); Object s2 = new String("Hello"); if (s1 == s2) { System.out.println("s1 and s2 are =="); } else if (s1.equals(s2)) { System.out.println("s1 and s2 are equals()"); }

Introduction / Context:
This question tests your understanding of reference comparison versus content comparison in Java, especially with String objects stored in variables of type Object. The difference between the == operator and the equals() method is a fundamental concept that often appears in interviews, because confusing them can lead to subtle bugs when comparing objects.

Given Data / Assumptions:

• s1 and s2 are declared as Object references.
• Each is initialized with new String("Hello"), creating two distinct String objects.
• The code first compares s1 and s2 using ==.
• If that comparison fails, it compares s1 and s2 using equals().

Concept / Approach:
In Java, the == operator compares references for objects, meaning it checks whether two variables refer to the exact same object in memory. The equals() method is designed to compare contents or logical equality, and many classes, including String, override equals() to compare actual values. Two distinct String objects may contain the same characters and therefore be equal according to equals(), but using == on them returns false because they are different instances.

Step-by-Step Solution:
1. s1 is assigned a new String object containing "Hello". 2. s2 is assigned another new String object containing "Hello". Although the contents match, these are two separate objects on the heap. 3. The expression s1 == s2 compares object references. Because s1 and s2 refer to different objects, this comparison evaluates to false. 4. The first if condition fails, so the program evaluates the else if condition s1.equals(s2). 5. The variable s1 is of type Object, but the actual object is a String, so String.equals() is called at runtime. String.equals() compares the character sequences of the two strings, which are both "Hello", so it returns true and prints "s1 and s2 are equals()".

Verification / Alternative check:
You can verify this behavior by modifying the code to assign s2 = s1 instead of creating a new String. In that case, s1 and s2 would reference the same object, and s1 == s2 would be true, printing "s1 and s2 are ==". Another variation is to store the references in variables of type String instead of Object; the outcome remains the same because == still compares references for objects and equals() still compares content.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:
Option B is wrong because s1 == s2 is false; they are two different objects. Option C is incorrect because the code is syntactically valid and compiles successfully. Option D is wrong because no exception is thrown; both comparisons are safe and well defined. The only output generated by the program is from the else if branch, which prints "s1 and s2 are equals()".

Common Pitfalls:
A common mistake is using == instead of equals() for String comparison, especially when reading user input or comparing object fields. This leads to unexpected behavior when strings with the same text are not interned. Another pitfall is assuming that declaring variables as Object changes how equals() works; in reality, the dynamic type of the object controls which equals() implementation is invoked. Always remember to use equals() for logical comparison of objects and reserve == for primitive types and reference identity checks.

Final Answer:
s1 and s2 are equals()