NUMBER SYSTEM

The study of number systems is useful to the student of computing due to the
fact that number systems other than the familiar decimal(base 10) number system are
used in the computer field.
Digital computers internally use the binary (base 2) number system to represent
data and perform arithmetic calculations. The binary number system is very efficient for
computers, but not for humans. Representing even relatively small numbers with the
binary
system requires working with long strings of ones and zeroes. The most common
number systems are the decimal, binary, octal and hexadecimal system.

DECIMAL SYSTEM
The decimal system is the most familiar to us because we use this number
system in our daily activities. It has a radix or base of 10 and is composed of the
numbers or symbols 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 and 9. The place value of the number right
next to the left of a number is ten times greater. To illustrate, see examples below.

Example 1.
2,58310 = (2 x 103) + (5 x 102) + (8 x 101) + (3 x 100)
= 2, 000 + 500 + 80 + 3
= 2, 58310

Example 2.
757.1510 = (7 x 102) + (5 x 101) + (7 x 100) + (1 x 10-1) + (5 x 10-2)
= 700 + 50 + 7 + 0.1 + 0.05
= 757.1510

BINARY SYSTEM
The binary system has a radix or base of 2 and is composed of two numbers
only. These numbers are 0 and 1, which may correspond to OFF and ON or HIGH and
LOW respectively in digital circuits. The place value of the number right next to the left
of a number is two times greater. To determine the value of a binary number in decimal,
see examples below.

Example 1.
10,1112 = (1 x 24) + (0 x 23) + (1 x 22) + (1 x 21) + (1 x 20)
= 16 + 0 + 4 + 2 + 1
= 2310

Example 2.
101.1112 = (1 x 22) + (0 x 21) + (1 x 20) + (1 x 2-1) + (1 x 2-2) + (1 x 2-3)
= 4 + 0 + 1 + 0.5 + 0.25 + 0.125
= 5.87510
OCTAL SYSTEM
The octal system has a radix or base of 8 and is composed of numbers or
symbols 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 and 7. The place value of the number right next to the left of a
number is eight times greater. To determine the value of an octal number in decimal,
see examples below.

Example 1.
17628 = (1 x 83) + (7 x 82) + (6 x 81) + (2 x 80)
= 512 + 448 + 48 + 2
= 101010

Example 2.
345.628 = (3 x 82) + (4 x 81) + (5 x 80) + (6 x 8-1) + (2 x 8-2)
= 192 + 32 + 5 + 0.75 + 0.25 + 0.03125
= 229.7812510

HEXADECIMAL SYSTEM
The hexadecimal system has a radix or base of 16 and is composed of numbers
or symbols 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, A, B, C, D, E and F. The number or symbols A, B,
C, D, E and F has the value of 10, 11, 12, 13, 14 and 15 respectively in decimal system.
The place value of the number right next to the left of a number is sixteen times greater.
To determine the value of a hexadecimal number in decimal, see the following
examples.

Example 1.
1AC216 = (1 x 163) + (10 x 162) + (12 x 161) + (2 x 160)
= 4096 + 2560 + 192 + 2
= 685010

Example 2.
F4.A28 = (15 x 161) + (4 x 160) + (10 x 16-1) + (2 x 16-2)
= 240 + 4 + 0.625 + 0.0078125
= 244.632812510

CONVERSION OF DECIMAL TO BINARY

Steps:
1. For whole numbers, divide whole numbers continuously by 2 and place the
remainders at the right until the result becomes zero.
2. Copy the remainders from the bottom going to the top.
3. For fractional part(if any), multiply the fractional part continuously by 2 until the
result becomes zero.
4. Copy the numbers before the decimal point in downward direction.
Example 1. Convert the decimal number 2310 to binary.
Solution:
23 ÷ 2 = 11 remainder 1
11 ÷ 2 = 5 remainder 1
5 ÷ 2 = 2 remainder 1
2 ÷ 2 = 1 remainder 0
1 ÷ 2 = 0 remainder 1
---stop---
Therefore, 2310 = 101112

Example 2. Convert the decimal number 15.12510 to binary.

Solution:
For whole numbers For the fractional part
15 ÷ 2 = 7 remainder 1 0.125 x 2 = 0.25
7 ÷ 2 = 3 remainder 1 0.25 x 2 = 0.5
3 ÷ 2 = 1 remainder 1 0.5 x 2 = 1.0
1 ÷ 2 = 0 remainder 1 ---stop---
---stop---

Therefore, 15.12510 = 1111.0012

CONVERSION OF DECIMAL TO OCTAL

Steps:
1. For whole numbers, divide whole numbers continuously by 8 and place the
remainders at the right until the result becomes zero.
2. Copy the remainders from the bottom going to the top.
3. For fractional part(if any), multiply the fractional part continuously by 8 until the
result becomes zero.
4. Copy the numbers before the decimal point in downward direction.
Example 1. Convert the decimal number 17510 to octal.
Solution:
175 ÷ 8 = 21 remainder 7
21 ÷ 8 = 2 remainder 5
2 ÷ 8 = 0 remainder 2
---stop---
Therefore, 17510 = 2578

Example 2. Convert the decimal number 253.187510 to octal.

Solution:
For whole numbers For the fractional part
253 ÷ 8 = 31 remainder 5 0.1875 x 8 = 1.5
31 ÷ 8 = 3 remainder 7 0.5 x 8 = 4.0
3 ÷ 8 = 0 remainder 3 ---stop---
---stop---
Therefore, 253.187510 = 375.148
CONVERSION OF DECIMAL TO HEXADECIMAL
Steps:
1. For whole numbers, divide whole numbers continuously by 16 and place the
remainders at the right until the result becomes zero.
2. Copy the remainders from the bottom going to the top.
3. For fractional part(if any), multiply the fractional part continuously by 16 until the
result becomes zero.
4. Copy the numbers before the decimal point in downward direction.

Example 1. Convert the decimal number 2873210 to hexadecimal.

Solution:
28732 ÷ 16 = 1795 remainder 12 or C
1795 ÷ 16 = 112 remainder 3
112 ÷ 16 = 7 remainder 0
7 ÷ 16 = 0 remainder 7
---stop---

Therefore, 2873210 = 703C16

Example 2. Convert the decimal number 983.0312510 to hexadecimal.

Solution:
For whole numbers For the fractional part
983 ÷ 16 = 61 remainder 7 0.03125 x 16 = 0.5
61 ÷ 16 = 3 remainder 13 or D 0.5 x 16 = 8.0
3 ÷ 16 = 0 remainder 3 ---stop---
---stop---
Therefore, 983.0312510 = 3D7.0816

CONVERSION OF BINARY TO OCTAL

Steps:
1. Starting at the decimal point, divide the binary digits into groups containing three
digits going to the left and to the right. If the number of digits is less than three,
add zero/s to complete three digits as one group.
2. In every group, write the corresponding equivalent of the binary number in octal
and bring down the decimal point.

Example:
Convert the binary number 11011101.01001112 to octal
Solution:

011 011 101. 010 011 100

3 3 5 . 2 3 4

Therefore, 11011101.01001112 =335.2348

CONVERSION OF BINARY TO HEXADECIMAL
Steps:
1. Starting at the decimal point, divide the binary digits into groups containing four
digits going to the left and to the right. If the number of digits is less than four,
add zero/s to complete four digits as one group.
2. In every group, write the corresponding equivalent of the binary number in
hexadecimal and bring down the decimal point.

Example:
Convert the binary number 11011101.01001112 to hexadecimal

Solution:
1101 1101. 0100 1110
13 13 . 4 14
or
D D. 4 E

Therefore, 11011101.01001112 = DD.4E16

Note: To convert hexadecimal to binary, just reverse the process above.

CONVERSION OF OCTAL TO HEXADECIMAL

To convert octal numbers to hexadecimal, it should either converted first into
decimal or into binary then to hexadecimal. The two processes will be illustrated below.

Example: Convert 6248 to hexadecimal

Solution:
First method
Octal → Decimal → Hexadecimal
6248 = (6 x 82) + (2 x 81) + (4 x 80) 404 ÷ 16 = 25 remainder 4
= 384 + 16 + 4 25 ÷ 16 = 1 remainder 9
= 40410 1÷ 16 = 0 remainder 1

Therefore, 6248 = 19416

Second method
Octal → Binary → Hexadecimal

6 2 4
110 010 100
Therefore, 6248 = 19416

0001 1001 0100

1 9 4
EXERCISES:
PART I
Write the equivalent values of the decimal numbers 1 to 30 in binary, octal and
hexadecimal.

DECIMAL BINARY OCTAL HEXADECIMAL

0 0 0 0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
PART II
A.Convert the following to binary:
1. 13710
2. 1378
3. 13716
4. ECE.EE16
5. CAFA.CEA16

B.Convert the following to octal:

1. 10000110110.112
2. 1A2B16
3. 1000.12510
4. BABAE16
5. 1234410