So far we have dealt with textual values (strings) and integer numbers (ints). Yet some applications require dealing with floating-point numbers. In python, those numbers are called floats. To read a floating-point number from the input, one can write a simple program:
a = int(input())
b = float(input())
print(a, type(a))
print(b, type(b))
print(a + b - 1, type(a + b - 1))
In case the inputted numbers were 10 and 7.7, the program would print the following:
We can define floating-point numbers as regular variables:
pi = 3.14159265359
r = 2
print(2 * pi * r)
This program would compute the circumference of the circle on the right and would print 12.56637061436.
Challenge
Given two sides of a rectangle h and w, compute and print its surface area.
Input
Output
2
3
6
1.1
3.5
3.85
Note: You might notice that the python output for the second example is not exactly 3.85 but rather 3.8500000000000005. That’s because of the way our computers handle floating-point numbers. Watch this video to get more insights into how this magic happens: