What is double in C

C, double serves as a data type designed to store numbers with double precision in floating-point format.

It can hold decimal numbers with higher precision compared to the float data type.

Characteristics of double:

Size: Typically, double occupies 8 bytes (64 bits) of memory.

Precision: Offers higher precision compared to float, suitable for applications requiring more accurate decimal representation.

Range: The range and precision can vary depending on the compiler and architecture, but generally, it can represent numbers from approximately

±2.3×10−308±2.3×10 −308 to ±1.7×10308±1.7×10 308

with at least 15 decimal digits of precision.

Usage:

To declare a double variable in C, you can use the double keyword:

double myDouble = 123.456;

Example:

#include<stdio.h> 

int main() {
    double distance = 12345.6789;
    
    printf("Distance: %lf\n", distance);
    
    return 0;
}

Output:

Distance: 12345.678900

The %lf format specifier is used to print double values with printf().

double is commonly used in scientific computations, financial calculations, and other applications where high precision is required for decimal values.