A data type that represents numbers with decimal points, using floating-point arithmetic to handle fractional values and very large or very small numbers. Floats enable precise mathematical calculations involving non-whole numbers.
Short for 'floating-point number,' coined in 1940s computing to describe how the decimal point can 'float' to different positions to represent various magnitudes. The term distinguished this flexible decimal representation from fixed-point arithmetic where the decimal position was predetermined.
Floats are like scientific notation on steroids - they can represent tiny measurements like 0.0000001 meters or huge distances like 93000000.0 miles by letting the decimal point 'float' wherever it needs to be. It's like having a super flexible ruler that automatically adjusts its scale!
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