What is the difference between float and double in the C language?

In the C language, both float and double are floating-point types, but their main differences lie in storage capacity and precision.

1. Storage capacity: float data type occupies 4 bytes (32 bits), while double data type occupies 8 bytes (64 bits). Therefore, double data type can represent a wider range.
2. Accuracy: The effective number of digits for float type is 6-7 digits, while for double type it is 15-16 digits. This means that double type can provide higher accuracy and a larger range of representation.

In practical applications, when higher precision and a larger range of values are needed, the double type is typically chosen. In cases where space is a concern or precision is not as important, the float type can be used to save memory space.

It is important to note that when performing floating-point calculations in the C language, there may be slight rounding errors between float and double types due to the way binary floating-point numbers are represented. Therefore, when comparing floating-point numbers, it is advisable to avoid using the equality operator and instead use a range of error for comparison.