What type of values does the Long type hold in Java?

The Long type in Java is designed to hold signed 64-bit integers. This means it can represent a large range of whole numbers, both positive and negative, due to the use of the most significant bit as the sign bit. The range of a Long type is from -9,223,372,036,854,775,808 to 9,223,372,036,854,775,807.

Understanding the significance of it being a signed integer is crucial; it allows for representation of negative values, which is often necessary in mathematical computations, data processing, and various programming scenarios where both positive and negative quantities are involved. The size of 64 bits allows for a much larger range than smaller integer types, such as int, which is a signed 32-bit integer and therefore serves different use cases.

The other options, while addressing integer and floating-point types, do not align with the characteristics of the Long data type in Java. This distinction highlights the versatility of Java's data types—each serves specific purposes depending on the needs of the application.