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Asked by Nandini Last Modified
Answer 
Because PHP is an interpreted language. This is distinctively different from e.g. Go or C, which are both compiled before they are runs. In practice this means that when you download and install PHP you are really installing an interpreter; a program that receives PHP code as an input, takes actions based on that input (like opening / closing files, performs arithmetic, etc.), and then outputs the result.
However, at least in the beginning*, PHP did not have an inbuilt web server. This is a stark contrast to a language like Go that comes with its own http package, which allows you to run a very efficient web server within your program.
PHP on the other hand, needs help. This is where Apache** comes in. The server listens for http requests on a specific port on the server, normally 80, and it has been instructed to use the PHP interpreter when the request is for specific file extension, such as .php, though any file type will do.
The results from the interpreter are then served to the user like any other file.
* Not sure if it does today… I believe it does but I think it is only meant for development purposes
** Or any other web server for that matter, e.g. Nginx
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