Float: Difference between revisions
New page: The '''Float''' datatype is a type of computing variable. It has three parts: the mantissa, the exponent, and the sign. The mantissa is the number itself. It is raised... |
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The ''' | The '''float''' [[datatype]] is a type of computing [[variable]]. It has three parts: the [[mantissa]], the [[exponent]], and the [[sign]]. | ||
The mantissa is the number itself; it is multiplied by <math>10\textsuperscript{exponent}</math> to get the actual number represented by this float. The sign determines whether the number is positive or negative. | |||
== Advantages and Disadvantages with [[Fixed]] Datatype == | == Advantages and Disadvantages with [[Fixed]] Datatype == | ||
Advantages: | Advantages: | ||
Float has a significantly larger range of numbers than fixed. | *Float has a significantly larger range of numbers than fixed. For example, 123450000000 and 0.00012345 take up the same space. | ||
It is an important metric in measuring computational power (in [[FLOPS]]) | *It is an important metric in measuring computational power (in [[FLOPS]]). | ||
Disadvantages: | Disadvantages: | ||
Float | *Float must take up a slightly larger amount of space than fixed in order to exercise its full potential. | ||
*With floats, there is a possibility of low-precision rounding. | |||
[[ | ==See Also== | ||
*[[Floating point number]]s for more detail, particularly as they apply to [[Python]]. | |||
{{stub}} | {{stub}} | ||
[[Category:Datatypes]] | |||
[[Category:Computer programming]] | |||
Latest revision as of 15:29, 18 May 2025
The float datatype is a type of computing variable. It has three parts: the mantissa, the exponent, and the sign.
The mantissa is the number itself; it is multiplied by 
to get the actual number represented by this float. The sign determines whether the number is positive or negative.
Advantages and Disadvantages with Fixed Datatype
Advantages:
- Float has a significantly larger range of numbers than fixed. For example, 123450000000 and 0.00012345 take up the same space.
- It is an important metric in measuring computational power (in FLOPS).
Disadvantages:
- Float must take up a slightly larger amount of space than fixed in order to exercise its full potential.
- With floats, there is a possibility of low-precision rounding.
See Also
- Floating point numbers for more detail, particularly as they apply to Python.
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