C in 100 Seconds: Memory Leaks — malloc Without free | Episode 22

Every malloc needs a free. If you allocate memory and never free it, that memory is gone — the program can't use it and the OS doesn't get it back until the process ends. That's a memory leak. Two functions side by side. One allocates and forgets — leaked. The other allocates and frees — clean. Same output, one line difference. Leaks are silent at runtime — the program works fine but slowly eats memory. Tools like valgrind catch what you miss. Student code: https://github.com/GoCelesteAI/c-in-100-seconds/tree/main/episode22 What You'll Learn: • What a memory leak is — allocated but never freed • Why leaks are dangerous — silent memory consumption • Leaky function vs clean function — one line difference • Every malloc needs exactly one free • valgrind for detecting leaks Next: Episode 23 — Structs #c #programming #100seconds #learnc #memoryleak #malloc #free #debugging #valgrind #tutorial Tags c memory leak, malloc free c, memory management c, valgrind c, leaky code, c tutorial 2026, c beginner, 100 seconds, learn c, coding tutorial