Question

Which of the following statement is true about IEEE754 representation of +0 and -0?

• A. have the same sign bit, but different mantissa bits.
• B. differ only in the sign bit; their exponent and mantissa bits are identical.
• C. have the same representation because they are mathematically equivalent.
• D. differ in both their exponent and mantissa bits.

Hint:

In IEEE754, **+0** and **-0** differ only by the sign bit, while their exponent and mantissa bits are identical.

Answer 1

The Correct Option is B

In the IEEE754 floating-point representation, **+0** and **-0** are represented in almost the same way except for the sign bit. 

- Both **+0** and **-0** share the same **exponent** and **mantissa** bits. 

- The only difference is the **sign bit**: - **+0** has the sign bit **0**. 

- **-0** has the sign bit **1**. This design ensures that **+0** and **-0** are treated as distinct values, even though they represent the same magnitude. 

Thus, the correct option is **(2)**: **"They differ only in the sign bit; their exponent and mantissa bits are identical."**