Exam-style question
Try this first
Why are floating point numbers normalised?.
- A.To give each value a consistent representation and maximise the available precision
- B.To make every exponent positive
- C.To remove the need for a mantissa
- D.To ensure that every floating point number is an integer
Model answer
What a good answer should say
- To give each value a consistent representation and maximise the available precision
Explanation
Why this works
Normalisation moves the binary point so that the mantissa begins in the required form. This gives a consistent representation and makes effective use of the available mantissa bits, helping to maximise precision.
Common mistake
No common mistake is linked to this question yet.