How do you set up a stack?

[the_2nd_coming]

hello,
I am a python/programming newbie (Python is my first language),
and I am writing a program that will be able to take a mathematical 
function, that, as of right now, is restricted to Multiply and Divide with 
one operator, (2/4 or 3*7). I want to be able for the end-user to be able 
to type the function at the python prompt and to have the program create a 
list of the characters in the list, I am using raw_input and I think I need 
to implement a stack  in order to pass each character to the list as I pop 
them off the stack. this is good and all, however, I do not know how to 
implement this.

this is what the layout is at this point:




        function = raw_input("put your function hear")
                        .
                        . #this is where the stack will be implemented and the  
                        . # charactors will be placed in the list.
        operator = function_list[1] # item 1 will be the position of the operator
                                #in the list after any whitespace is striped.
        
        if operator == "*": #the operator is the astrik
                multiplication(function_list[0], Function_list[2])
        
        else:
                Division(Function_list[0], Function_list[2])

        # the rest of the program

so, how do I implement a stack, and, is there any other way I could 
acomplish this task?

thank-you in advance

Jeremy Petzold