Number
Systems
Arnab Ghosh XI-B
Number System For Computers
❏ Every number system has a set of unique characters or literals. The count of these literals is
called the radix or base of the number system.
❏ Number systems are also called positional number system because the value of each symbol
(i.e., digit and alphabet) in a number depends upon its position within the number.
Decimal System- Base 10 System
A number is presented The value of position (also called Positional Value is
by its two values — position value) in the integer part computed using its
symbol value (any digit increases from right to left by 1. The position value and the
from 0 to 9) and first symbol in the fraction part of the base value of the
positional value (in terms number has position number –1, which system. Adding the
of base value). decreases by 1 while reading fraction product of positional
part from left to right. value and the symbol
value results in the given
number.
Binary Number System
Need What?
The ICs (Integrated These two digits 1 and 0 form the
Circuits) in a computer binary number system. This system
are made up of is also referred as base-2 system as
transistors which are it has two digits only.
activated by the
electronic signals Examples
(low/high) they receive.
Some examples of binary numbers
The ON/high and OFF/low are 1001011, 1011.101, 111111.01. A
state of a transistor is binary number can be mapped to an
represented using the equivalent decimal number.
two digits 1 and 0.
Octal Number System
Sometimes, a binary number is so Octal number system is called base-8
large that it becomes difficult to system as it has total eight digits
manage. Octal number system was (0-7), and positional value is
devised for compact representation of expressed in powers of 8. Three
the binary numbers. binary digits (8=23) are sufficient to
represent any octal digit.
Hexadecimal
Number System
Hexadecimal numbers are also used for compact
representation of binary numbers. It consists of 16
unique symbols (0–9, A–F), and is called base- 16
system. In hexadecimal system, each alphanumeric
digit is represented as a group of 4 binary digits
because 4 bits (24=16) are sufficient to represent 16
alphanumeric symbols. Note here that the decimal
numbers 10 through 15 are represented by the
letters A through F. Examples of Hexadecimal
numbers are (23A.05)16, (1C3)16, (619B.A)16.
Conversion Between Number System
More Conversions
Binary to Octal Octal to Binary
Given a binary number, an equivalent octal number Each octal digit is an encoding for a 3-digit binary
represented by 3 bits is computed by grouping 3 bits number. Octal number is converted to binary by
from right to left and replacing each 3-bit group by the replacing each octal digit by a group of three binary
corresponding octal digit. digits.
BInary to Hexadecimal Hexadecimal to Binary
Binary number’s equivalent hexadecimal number is Each hexadecimal symbol is an encoding for a
computed by making a group of 4 binary digits from right 4-digit binary [Link] binary Number is obtained
to left and substituting each 4-bit group by its by substituting 4-bit binary equivalent of each
corresponding hexadecimal alphanumeric symbol. hexadecimal digit and combining.