Whats the difference between floating point and fixed point?

Answer 1

In terms of computer hardware... fixed point math is performed in registers of fixed length. For example, the Intel and AMD processors of the past decade have had register widths of 32-bits (currently they are coming out with 64-bit registers). All fixed-point addition and subtraction are limited to 32-bit addends, subtrahends, sums, and differences. The range of integer numbers is from approximately -2.1 billion to +2.1 billion, or if you only deal with fractional numbers, -2.1 billionth to +2.1 billionth. Addition takes 1 computer machine cycle (very fast) to perform when it is limited to the register size of the machine.

For floating-point math, special registers and operations are used to keep track of mantissas and exponents. Addition takes many computer cycles to complete, but the range of numbers is much greater and the range of fraction is much smaller than with integer math (above).

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Answer 2

fastened element is the place the rsult of a calculation is rounded to a fastened kind of decimal factors a million/3 = 0.33333333333333333333 could be 0.33 Floating element is greater precise and facilitates the organic results of a calculation yet can produce very long numbers.

Answer 3

Fixed point is where the rsult of a calculation is rounded to a FIXED number of decimal points
1/3 = 0.33333333333333333333 would be 0.33

Floating point is more accurate and allows the natural result of a calculation but can produce very long numbers.