What is the decimal system and how does it work?
The decimal system is the most widely used number system. It is based on the powers of 10 and consists of ten unique digits: 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, and 9. Each digit’s value is determined by its position, starting from the rightmost digit. For example, in the number 123, the digit 3 represents units, the digit 2 represents tens, and the digit 1 represents hundreds.
How do you convert a decimal number to a binary number?
To convert a decimal number to binary (base 2), you need to divide the decimal number by 2 repeatedly until the quotient becomes 0. The binary representation is obtained by taking the remainders in reverse order. For example, let’s convert the decimal number 7 to binary:
7 divided by 2 equals 3 with a remainder of 1.
3 divided by 2 equals 1 with a remainder of 1.
1 divided by 2 equals 0 with a remainder of 1.
The remainders in reverse order are 111, so the binary representation of 7 is 111.
How do you convert a binary number to a decimal number?
To convert a binary number to a decimal number, each digit in the binary number is multiplied by 2 raised to the power of its position, starting from the rightmost digit as 2^0. The products are then summed up to obtain the decimal representation. For instance, let’s convert the binary number 1011 to decimal:
1 * 2^3 = 8
0 * 2^2 = 0
1 * 2^1 = 2
1 * 2^0 = 1
The sum of these products is 8 + 0 + 2 + 1 = 11. Therefore, the decimal representation of the binary number 1011 is 11.
How do you convert a decimal number to an octal number?
To convert a decimal number to octal (base 8), you divide the decimal number successively by 8 until the quotient becomes 0. The octal representation is obtained by taking the remainders in reverse order. For example, let’s convert the decimal number 25 to octal:
25 divided by 8 equals 3 with a remainder of 1.
3 divided by 8 equals 0 with a remainder of 3.
The remainders in reverse order are 31, so the octal representation of 25 is 31.
How do you convert an octal number to a decimal number?
To convert an octal number to a decimal number, each digit in the octal number is multiplied by 8 raised to the power of its position, starting from the rightmost digit as 8^0. The products are then summed up to obtain the decimal representation. For instance, let’s convert the octal number 47 to decimal:
4 * 8^1 = 32
7 * 8^0 = 7
The sum of these products is 32 + 7 = 39. Therefore, the decimal representation of the octal number 47 is 39.
Converting numbers to different bases is an important concept in mathematics and computer science. Understanding how to convert between bases can help us work with different number systems and solve a variety of mathematical problems more efficiently. So, the next time you encounter a number in a different base, you now have the knowledge to successfully convert it!