A Level Computer Science OCR Practice Exam

What is floating point arithmetic used for?

1. Performing calculations on integers

2. Performing calculations on floating-point numbers

3. Storing integers in binary notation

4. Converting binary to hexadecimal

The correct answer is: Performing calculations on floating-point numbers

Floating point arithmetic is specifically designed for performing calculations on floating-point numbers, which are numbers that can have a fractional component. This representation allows for a much wider range of values compared to integers, making it particularly useful in situations where precision and the ability to represent very large or very small numbers are required, such as in scientific calculations, graphics, and simulations. Floating point numbers are represented in a way that accommodates both the integer and fractional parts, typically using a format that divides the number into a significand (or mantissa) and an exponent. This flexibility is what enables floating point arithmetic to handle real-world values that are not whole numbers effectively. Other options focus on different types of calculations or representations, such as integer arithmetic, binary storage, or conversion between number systems; however, these do not pertain to the fundamental purpose of floating point arithmetic.