Western Governors University (WGU) ITSW 2113 D278 Scripting and Programming Foundations Practice Exam

A floating-point number is defined as a representation of real numbers that can include fractions. It is essentially a way to express numbers that are not whole, allowing for a wider range of values, including decimals. Floating-point representation can accommodate very small numbers, very large numbers, and everything in between, making it an essential concept in computing for scenarios that require precision in representing real-world quantities.

This number format allows for a fractional component, which is crucial when dealing with calculations that demand precision, such as scientific computations or financial algorithms. The ability to represent these numbers with both a whole part and a fractional part is what distinctly characterizes floating-point numbers.

In contrast to that, integers are whole numbers without any fractional components, numbers in scientific notation represent values in a specific format that includes a coefficient and a power of ten, and large whole numbers simply refer to integers that are significantly high in value without any fractional part.