Question

If the table PRODUCT has a column PRICE that has the data type Numeric (8,2), the values stored for this attribute will be stored .

a) as eight digits, a decimal point, and two more digits
b) as six digits, a decimal point, and two more digits
c) as ten digits with no stored decimal point
d) as eight digits with no stored decimal point
e) as six digits with no stored decimal point

Answer 1

Numeric (8,2) data type stores values as six digits, a decimal point, and two additional digits, indicating a total of eight significant figures but with exactly two figures after the decimal point for precision in monetary values.

Step-by-step explanation:

When dealing with a Numeric (8,2) data type in a database table, such as the PRICE column in the PRODUCT table, the format of the stored values is six digits, a decimal point, and two more digits. Essentially, the number '8' in Numeric (8,2) represents the total count of digits that are significant, and '2' denotes the number of these digits that will follow the decimal point. This means that there is room for up to six digits before the decimal point and exactly two digits after the decimal point, which is important for maintaining precision in monetary values, for example.

It is also critical to remember that when performing operations such as addition and subtraction, the result should not have more decimal places than the number with the least precision. For instance, if you are adding weights measured in kilograms to varying precisions, your result should be rounded to maintain accuracy appropriate to the least precise measurement.