Final answer:
A floating point number consists of three parts: the sign, which indicates positivity or negativity, the exponent for representing numeric scale, and the mantissa for precision.
Step-by-step explanation:
The three component parts of a floating point number in the context of computer science are the sign, the exponent, and the mantissa (or significant). The sign determines whether the number is positive or negative. The exponent holds the power to which the number is raised, allowing the representation of very large or very small numbers efficiently. The mantissa represents the precision of the floating point number, storing the significant digits of the number.