A shallow copy creates a new object but inserts references to the original objects, while a deep copy creates a new object and recursively copies all objects. Use `copy` module for both.

Understanding the difference between shallow and deep copies in Python is essential for managing mutable objects. A shallow copy creates a new object but inserts references to the objects found in the original. This means that changes made to mutable objects within the shallow copy will affect the original objects since both copies reference the same objects. You can create a shallow copy using the copy module's copy() function:

import copy
original_list = [1, [2, 3], 4]
shallow_copy = copy.copy(original_list)

In contrast, a deep copy creates a new object and recursively copies all objects found in the original, ensuring that no references to the original objects remain. This means that changes to objects in the deep copy do not affect the original objects. To create a deep copy, use the deepcopy() function:

deep_copy = copy.deepcopy(original_list)

Choosing between shallow and deep copies depends on your specific use case. When working with complex nested data structures, it’s generally safer to use deep copies to avoid unintended side effects from shared references.