IEEE floating point
When we talk about numbers in computers, we have to use a special way to store them called IEEE floating point. It's like using a big box to put all the numbers we want to use inside.
Inside this box, there are two parts: the sign and the value. The sign part tells us whether the number is positive or negative, while the value part is where we actually store the number.
The value part is divided into three more parts: the exponent, the mantissa, and the base. The base is just a number that we use to help us move the decimal point around, like how we use 10 in our everyday math.
The mantissa is the actual number we want to store, but it's always between 1 and 2. This lets us use fewer bits to represent the number, which saves space in our computer's memory.
The exponent tells us where to place the decimal point. If the exponent is negative, it means we move the decimal point to the left. If it's positive, we move it to the right.
So, when we use IEEE floating point to store a number, we first decide on the sign (positive or negative). Then, we figure out where the decimal point should be using the exponent. Finally, we put the number between 1 and 2 into the mantissa and multiply it by the base raised to the power of the exponent.
In the end, we have a compact way to store a wide range of numbers in our computer's memory.
Inside this box, there are two parts: the sign and the value. The sign part tells us whether the number is positive or negative, while the value part is where we actually store the number.
The value part is divided into three more parts: the exponent, the mantissa, and the base. The base is just a number that we use to help us move the decimal point around, like how we use 10 in our everyday math.
The mantissa is the actual number we want to store, but it's always between 1 and 2. This lets us use fewer bits to represent the number, which saves space in our computer's memory.
The exponent tells us where to place the decimal point. If the exponent is negative, it means we move the decimal point to the left. If it's positive, we move it to the right.
So, when we use IEEE floating point to store a number, we first decide on the sign (positive or negative). Then, we figure out where the decimal point should be using the exponent. Finally, we put the number between 1 and 2 into the mantissa and multiply it by the base raised to the power of the exponent.
In the end, we have a compact way to store a wide range of numbers in our computer's memory.
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