Which fundamental data type is used to represent decimal fractions?

The fundamental data type used to represent decimal fractions is the floating point number. This is because floating point numbers are specifically designed to handle real numbers, including both whole numbers and numbers with fractional components. They are important in programming and computing as they allow for the representation of a wide range of values that include decimals, which is essential for calculations that require precision, such as those found in scientific computations and financial applications.

Floating point representation typically consists of a significant (or mantissa) and an exponent, allowing computers to store very large or very small numbers effectively. This capability makes them ideal for representing decimals, unlike integers, which can only represent whole numbers.

The other data types serve different purposes: integers are for whole numbers, character data types store single characters or strings of text, and Boolean represents true/false values. Thus, floating point numbers are the appropriate choice for representing decimal fractions due to their ability to handle fractional values efficiently.