Float Division problem

  • Hi,

    I have 2 columns in a table which are both floats. In column A I have the value 5896, in Column B 13180.

    If I divide Column A by Column B I get the result 0.449973288559872.

    If I do the same in Excel or using a calculator I get 0.4473444613050076.

    What makes the results different? I'm guessing something to do with Data Types and Lengths. As Excel's result is the answer I actually want (I already have a spreadsheet with all the data and calculations in, I'm just slowly replicating it into SQL), how would I go about getting the equivalent result in SQL.

    Thanks

    John

  • It would help if you posted the table definitions of the tables you are working with. When I run this:

    select CONVERT(float, 5896)/CONVERT(float, 13180)

    I get your calculator/Excel answer.

  • Thank you, but this was user error. I was actually using a similarly named column with similar values giving what looks like the figures I want just marginally different in the decimal places.

  • I'd be curious what is actually in the two columns. When I setup two variables as floats and enter the values you provide I get the answer you are looking for, not the answer you get. I have done this with both SQL Server 2005 and SQL Server 2008 R2.

  • john.walker 46407 (6/18/2012)


    Thank you, but this was user error. I was actually using a similarly named column with similar values giving what looks like the figures I want just marginally different in the decimal places.

    What?

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