---
title: "What is the difference between double and float in floating point accuracy?"  
description: "What is the difference between double and float in floating point accuracy?"  
author: "Steilla Mitchel"  
published: 2023-08-18  
updated: 2023-08-19  
canonical: https://www.mindstick.com/forum/159577/what-is-the-difference-between-double-and-float-in-floating-point-accuracy  
category: "c#"  
tags: ["c#", "Data Types"]  
reading_time: 2 minutes  

---

# What is the difference between double and float in floating point accuracy?

What is the [difference](https://www.mindstick.com/articles/157114/good-news-or-bad-news-and-the-difference-is) between double and [float](https://www.mindstick.com/interview/1718/describe-float-containment) in [floating](https://www.mindstick.com/articles/85595/how-to-troubleshoot-when-your-floating-pond-fountain-is-not-working-properly) point [accuracy](https://www.mindstick.com/blog/301099/how-accurate-are-pulse-oximeter)?

## Replies

### Reply by Aryan Kumar

The main difference between double and float point accuracy is the number of digits that can be represented. A double has 15 to 17 significant digits of precision, while a float has 7 to 9 significant digits of precision. This means that a double can represent numbers more accurately than a float.

Here is a table summarizing the difference between double and float point accuracy:

| Data type | Precision |
| --- | --- |
| Double | 15 to 17 significant digits |
| Float | 7 to 9 significant digits |

For example, the double value 1.2345678901234567 has 17 significant digits, while the float value 1.234567890123456 has only 9 significant digits. This means that the double value can represent the number 1.2345678901234567 more accurately than the float value.

In general, you should use a double when you need to represent numbers with high precision. You should use a float when you need to represent numbers with less precision or when you are limited by memory constraints.

Here are some examples of when you should use a double:

- Storing the value of pi
- Storing the weight of an object in grams
- Storing the temperature in Celsius
- Storing the area of a circle in square meters

Here are some examples of when you should use a float:

- Storing the price of an item in dollars
- Storing the balance of an account in cents
- Storing the interest rate on a loan in percent
- Storing the exchange rate between two currencies


---

Original Source: https://www.mindstick.com/forum/159577/what-is-the-difference-between-double-and-float-in-floating-point-accuracy

Copyright © MindStick Software Pvt. Ltd. This Markdown version is provided for developers, AI systems, and offline reading.