What is the difference between decimal , float and double in .NET?

In .NET, the decimal, float, and double data types are used to represent non-integer numbers, but they differ significantly in terms of precision, range, and use cases. Here is a detailed comparison:

Precision and Range

1. Float (System.Single):

   • Size: 32 bits
   • Precision: Approximately 7 significant digits
   • Range: ±1.5 × 10^-45 to ±3.4 × 10^38
   • Use Case: Suitable for applications where memory is a concern and precision is less critical, such as graphics and scientific calculations where rounding errors are acceptable[1][4][7].

2. Double (System.Double):

   • Size: 64 bits
   • Precision: Approximately 15-17 significant digits
   • Range: ±5.0 × 10^-324 to ±1.7 × 10^308
   • Use Case: Commonly used for general-purpose floating-point calculations where a balance between precision and performance is needed. It is the default choice for floating-point numbers in .NET[1][4][7].

3. Decimal (System.Decimal):

   • Size: 128 bits
   • Precision: 28-29 significant digits
   • Range: ±1.0 × 10^-28 to ±7.9 × 10^28
   • Use Case: Ideal for financial and monetary calculations where precision is paramount. It avoids rounding errors that can occur with binary floating-point types (float and double) because it uses a base-10 representation[1][2][4][5].

Key Differences

• Precision: Decimal offers the highest precision, followed by double, and then float. This makes decimal the best choice for financial calculations where exact decimal representation is crucial[2][4][5].
• Range: Double has the largest range, followed by float, and then decimal. This makes double suitable for scientific calculations that require handling very large or very small numbers[1][4][5].
• Performance: Float and double are faster in terms of computation compared to decimal. Decimal operations are slower due to the higher precision and larger size[3][5][16].
• Representation: Float and double use binary floating-point representation, which can lead to precision issues with certain decimal values (e.g., 0.1 cannot be exactly represented). Decimal uses a base-10 representation, which aligns with human decimal arithmetic and avoids such issues[1][2][4][5].

Example Code

Here is an exa...