A(n) _________ represents a single instance of a class.

An instance object is a specific realization of a class. In object-oriented programming, a class defines a blueprint for creating objects, including their properties (attributes) and behaviors (methods). When an instance object is created from a class, it possesses its own set of attribute values that can vary independently from attributes of other instance objects created from the same class. This concept allows for the creation of multiple objects with similar structure but different state.

For example, if you have a class Car, each individual car represented by an instance object—like car1 and car2—can have different attributes such as color, model, and year, while still being part of the overall Car class structure. This demonstrates how instance objects effectively capture the concept of single instances of a class, embodying the idea of unique entities within a defined classification.