Home / Questions / What is difference between float and double in Java?
Explanatory Question

What is difference between float and double in Java?

👁 158 Views
📘 Detailed Answer
🕒 Easy to Read
Read the answer carefully and go through the related questions on the right side to improve your understanding of this topic.

Answer with Explanation

In Java, float and double are both used to store floating-point numbers, but they differ in precision and storage requirements:

  • float:

    • It is a 32-bit single-precision IEEE 754 floating-point number.
    • It provides about 6-7 decimal digits of precision.
    • It has a default value of 0.0f and requires the suffix f or F when declaring float literals.
    • It is used when you want to save memory, especially in large arrays of floating-point numbers.

  • double:

    • It is a 64-bit double-precision IEEE 754 floating-point number.
    • It offers about 15-16 decimal digits of precision.
    • Its default value is 0.0d, and the suffix d or D is optional for double literals.
    • It is generally the default choice for decimal values and is used when you need more precision in calculations.

Here's a table summarizing the key differences:

Feature float double
Precision Up to 7 decimal digits Up to 15 decimal digits
Storage Size 4 bytes 8 bytes
Use Case Less precise calculations, memory optimization High precision calculations