# A fun tool to explore or teach floating point numbers **URL:** \ **Category:** Uncategorized\ **Created:** [March 4, 2023, 12:05pm UTC](https://fortran-lang.discourse.group/t/a-fun-tool-to-explore-or-teach-floating-point-numbers/5333 "2023-03-04T12:05:41Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 6\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![vmagnin](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/free1/user_avatar/fortran-lang.discourse.group/vmagnin/32/28_2.png) [@vmagnin](https://fortran-lang.discourse.group/u/vmagnin)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2023, 12:05pm UTC](https://fortran-lang.discourse.group/t/a-fun-tool-to-explore-or-teach-floating-point-numbers/5333/1 "2023-03-04T12:05:41Z")
I have found this site on Mastodon: > **[Float Exposed](https://float.exposed/)** > > Floating point format explorer – binary representations of common floating point formats. Very interesting for teaching what is a floating point real! You can for example click on each bit and show how is represented Infinity or NaN, etc. ---
**Author:** ![shahmoradi](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/free1/user_avatar/fortran-lang.discourse.group/shahmoradi/32/3151_2.png) [@shahmoradi](https://fortran-lang.discourse.group/u/shahmoradi)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2023, 5:11pm UTC](https://fortran-lang.discourse.group/t/a-fun-tool-to-explore-or-teach-floating-point-numbers/5333/2 "2023-03-04T17:11:11Z")
Super helpful, thanks for sharing. ---
**Author:** ![vmagnin](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/free1/user_avatar/fortran-lang.discourse.group/vmagnin/32/28_2.png) [@vmagnin](https://fortran-lang.discourse.group/u/vmagnin)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2023, 5:17pm UTC](https://fortran-lang.discourse.group/t/a-fun-tool-to-explore-or-teach-floating-point-numbers/5333/3 "2023-03-04T17:17:29Z")
At the bottom of the page, you can click on the name of the author and be redirected to this article on his blog: > **[Exposing Floating Point – Bartosz Ciechanowski](https://ciechanow.ski/exposing-floating-point/)** > > In depth explanation of floating point format. See also his other articles: [https://ciechanow.ski/archives/](https://ciechanow.ski/archives/) Very beautiful blog! ---
**Author:** ![art-rasa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/90ced4/32.png) [@art-rasa](https://fortran-lang.discourse.group/u/art-rasa)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2023, 12:15pm UTC](https://fortran-lang.discourse.group/t/a-fun-tool-to-explore-or-teach-floating-point-numbers/5333/4 "2023-03-05T12:15:43Z")
Thanks for sharing. I find it strangely intriguing and philosophical how the number 1.0 and “Infinity” differ by just one bit. ```auto 1.0: 0011 1111 1000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 Inf: 0111 1111 1000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 ``` ---
**Author:** ![vmagnin](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/free1/user_avatar/fortran-lang.discourse.group/vmagnin/32/28_2.png) [@vmagnin](https://fortran-lang.discourse.group/u/vmagnin)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2023, 1:48pm UTC](https://fortran-lang.discourse.group/t/a-fun-tool-to-explore-or-teach-floating-point-numbers/5333/5 "2023-03-05T13:48:51Z")
> [@art-rasa](#): > > I find it strangely intriguing and philosophical how the number 1.0 and “Infinity” differ by just one bit. With that fact and e^{\mathrm i\pi}+1=0, you “hold Infinity in the palm of your hand”. 😵‍💫 A more prosaic view is that it is so because the first 1 of a not null significand is implicit in IEEE 754 (the art of gaining 1 bit!). ---
**Author:** ![vmagnin](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/free1/user_avatar/fortran-lang.discourse.group/vmagnin/32/28_2.png) [@vmagnin](https://fortran-lang.discourse.group/u/vmagnin)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2023, 2:07pm UTC](https://fortran-lang.discourse.group/t/a-fun-tool-to-explore-or-teach-floating-point-numbers/5333/6 "2023-03-05T14:07:49Z")
With 32 bits: 42 is `0 10000100 01010000000000000000000`. No fun… 🙄