What will happen if you try to access a local variable outside its function in Python?

When you try to access a local variable outside its function in Python, it causes a NameError. This occurs because local variables are defined within the scope of the function they belong to. Once the execution of that function completes, the local variables cease to exist and cannot be accessed from outside the function.

In Python, each function has its own local scope. When a variable is created inside a function, it is local to that function and not accessible from outside it. If you attempt to reference that variable outside of the function where it was declared, Python will not recognize it, leading to the NameError. This error indicates that the name you are trying to use has not been defined in the scope from which you are calling it, as it is not available in the global scope or any outer scope.

This concept is fundamental in Python as it helps maintain a clean namespace and avoids conflicts between variable names in different functions.