Which of the following numeric types has the largest range in Java?

• A. short
• B. int
• C. long
• D. byte

Answer: (C)

The numeric type with the largest range in Java is indeed the long type. The long data type is a 64-bit signed integer, which allows it to represent a significantly broader range of values compared to the other numeric types listed. Specifically, a long can hold values from -2^63 to 2^63 - 1, which amounts to approximately 18 quintillion possible values.

To provide perspective, the other numeric types have smaller ranges:

• The short type is a 16-bit signed integer with a range of -32,768 to 32,767.

• The int type is a 32-bit signed integer, with a range of -2,147,483,648 to 2,147,483,647.

• The byte type is an 8-bit signed integer that can represent values between -128 and 127.

This increasing bit size corresponds directly to an increasing range of values, and since long is the largest of these types, it naturally has the largest range among them. Thus, the long type's ability to handle such a wide spectrum of values makes it the correct answer.