Objectives

After studying this chapter, students should be able to:

Chapter 2  Understand the concept of number systems.

 Distinguish between different number systems.
 Describe the decimal, binary, hexadecimal and octal system.

Number  Convert a number in binary, octal or hexadecimal to a

number in the decimal system.
 Convert a number in the decimal system to a number in

Systems
binary, octal and hexadecimal.
 Convert a number in one system to another system.
Find the number of digits needed in each system to represent
a particular value.

2.1
Source: Foundations of Computer Science Cengage Learning 2.2

2-1 Introduction
2-2 Positional Number Systems
A number system defines how a number can be
In a positional number system, the position a symbol
represented using distinct symbols. A number can be
occupies in the number determines the value it
represented differently in different systems.
represents. In this system, a number represented as:
For example,
the two numbers (2A)16 and (52)8 both refer to the same
quantity, (42)10, but their representations are different. has the value of:

(2A)16 = (52)8 = (42)10

in which S is the set of symbols, b is the base (or radix).

Example: (42)10
2.3 2.4

1
The Decimal System (base 10) Integers (base 10)

The word decimal is derived from the Latin root decem

(ten). In this system the base b = 10 and we use ten symbols

S = {0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9}
The symbols in this system are often referred to as decimal
digits or just digits. Example 2.1
The following shows the place values for the integer +224 in the
Different Systems decimal system.
Decimal: 0, …, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, …
Octal: 0, …, 7, 10, 11, …, 16, 17, 20, 21, ..
Binary: 0, 1, 10, 11, 100, 101, 110, 111, 1000, …
2.5 2.6

Example 2.2 Reals (base 10)

The following shows the place values for the decimal number
−7508. We have used 1, 10, 100, and 1000 instead of powers of
10.

Example 2.3

( ) Values The following shows the place values for the real number +24.13.

2.7 2.8

2
The Binary System (base 2) Integers (base 2)

The word binary is derived from the Latin root bini (or two
by two). In this system the base b = 2 and we use only two
symbols,

S = {0, 1}
Example 2.4
The following shows that the number (11001)2 in binary is the
The symbols in this system are often referred to as binary same as 25 in decimal. The subscript 2 shows that the base is 2.
digits or bits (binary digit).

The equivalent decimal number is N = 16 + 8 + 0 + 0 + 1 = 25.

2.9 2.10

Reals (base 2) The Hexadecimal System (base 16)

The word hexadecimal is derived from the Greek root hex
(six) and the Latin root decem (ten). In this system the base
b = 16 and we use sixteen symbols to represent a number.
The set of symbols is

Example 2.5
S = {0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, A, B, C, D, E, F}
The following shows that the number (101.11)2 in binary is equal
to the number 5.75 in decimal.

Note that the symbols A, B, C, D, E, F are equivalent to 10,

11, 12, 13, 14, and 15 respectively. The symbols in this
system are often referred to as hexadecimal digits.
The decimal number is N = 4 + 0 + 1 + 0.5 + 0.25 = 5.75
2.11 2.12

3
 Integers (base 16) The Octal System (base 8)
The word octal is derived from the Latin root octo (eight). In
this system the base b = 8 and we use eight symbols to
represent a number. The set of symbols is

S = {0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7}
Example 2.6
The following shows that the number (2AE)16 in hexadecimal is
equivalent to 686 in decimal.

2.13 The equivalent decimal number is N = 512 + 160 + 14 = 686. 2.14

Integers (base 8) Summary of Four Positional Systems

Example 2.7
The following shows that the number (1256)8 in octal is the same
as 686 in decimal.

The decimal number is N = 512 + 128 + 40 + 6 = 686.

2.15 2.16

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Comparison of numbers in the Four Systems Conversion
We need to know how to convert a number in one system
to the equivalent number in another system. Since the
decimal system is more familiar than the other systems, we
first show how to covert from any base to decimal. Then
we show how to convert from decimal to any base. Finally,
we show how we can easily convert from binary to
hexadecimal or octal and vice versa.

2.17 2.18

Any Base to Decimal Conversion Example 2.9

The following shows how to convert the hexadecimal number
(1A.23)16 to decimal.

Example 2.8
The following shows how to convert the binary number Note that the result in the decimal notation is not exact, because
(110.11)2 to decimal: (110.11)2 = 6.75. 3 × 16−2 = 0.01171875. We have rounded this value to three digits
(0.012).

2.19 2.20

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 Example 2.10 Decimal to Any Base (Integral part) – UML Diagram

The following shows how to convert (23.17)8 to decimal.

This means that (23.17)8 ≈ 19.234 in decimal. Again, we have

rounded up 7 × 8−2 = 0.109375.

2.21 2.22

Decimal to Any Base (Integral part) – Each Repetition Example 2.12

The following shows how to convert 126 in decimal to its

equivalent in the octal system. We move to the right while
continuously finding the quotients and the remainder of division
by 8. The result is 126 = (176)8.

Example 2.11
Convert 35 in decimal to binary, we start with the number in
decimal and move to the left while continuously finding the
quotients and the remainder of division by 2. The result is 35 =
(100011)2.

2.23 2.24

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 Example 2.13 Decimal to Any Base (Fractional part) – UML Diagram

The following shows how we convert 126 in decimal to its

equivalent in the hexadecimal system. We move to the right
while continuously finding the quotients and the remainder of
division by 16. The result is 126 = (7E)16

2.25 2.26

Decimal to Any Base (Fractional part) – Each Repetition Example 2.15

The following shows how to convert 0.634 to octal using a
maximum of four digits. The result is 0.634 = (0.5044)8. Note
that we multiple by 8 (base octal).

Note: Stop when enough digits have been created.

Example 2.14
Convert the decimal number 0.625 to binary. 0.625 = (0.101)2

2.27 2.28

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 Example 2.16 Example 2.17

The following shows how to convert 178.6 in decimal to

An alternative method for converting a small decimal integer
hexadecimal using only one digit to the right of the decimal
(usually less than 256) to binary is to break the number as the sum of
point. The result is 178.6 = (B2.9)16 Note that we divide or
numbers that are equivalent to the binary place values shown:
multiple by 16 (base hexadecimal).

2.29 2.30

Example 2.18 Binary-Hexadecimal Conversion

A similar method can be used to convert a decimal fraction to
binary when the denominator is a power of two:

Example 2.19
Show the hexadecimal equivalent of the binary number
(10011100010)2.

100 1110 0010

The answer is then (0.011011)2
4 E 2 16
2.31 2.32

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 Example 2.20 Binary-Octal Conversion

What is the binary equivalent of (24C)16?

Solution
Each hexadecimal digit is converted to 4-bit patterns:

2 → 0010, 4 → 0100, and C → 1100

Example 2.21

The result is (001001001100)2. Show the octal equivalent of the binary number (101110010)2.

101 110 010

5 6 2 8
2.33 2.34

Example 2.22 Octal-Hexadecimal Conversion

What is the binary equivalent of for (24)8?

Solution
Write each octal digit as its equivalent bit pattern to get

2 → 010 and 4 → 100

The result is (010100)2.

2.35 2.36

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 Example 2.23
Find the minimum number of binary digits required to store
decimal integers with a maximum of six digits.

Solution
k = 6, b1 = 10, and b2 = 2. Then

x = k × (logb1 / logb2) = 6 × (1 / 0.30103) = 20.

The largest six-digit decimal number is 999,999 (i.e., 106-1) and

the largest 20-bit binary number is 1,048,575 (i.e.,220-1). Note
that the largest number that can be represented by a 19-bit
number is 524287, which is smaller than 999,999. We definitely
need twenty bits.

2.37

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