Subject: Computer Studies
Class 7
Hand Notes on Number Systems
A digital system can understand positional number system only where there are a
few symbols called digits and these symbols represent different values depending on
the position they occupy in the number.
A value of each digit in a number can be determined using
The digit
The position of the digit in the number
The base of the number system (where base is defined as the total number of
digits available in the number system).
Decimal Number System
The number system that we use in our day-to-day life is the decimal number system.
Decimal number system has base 10 as it uses 10 digits from 0 to 9. In decimal
number system, the successive positions to the left of the decimal point represents
units, tens, hundreds, thousands and so on.
Each position represents a specific power of the base (10). For example, the decimal
number 1234 consists of the digit 4 in the units position, 3 in the tens position, 2 in
the hundreds position, and 1 in the thousands position, and its value can be written
as
(1×1000) + (2×100) + (3×10) + (4×l)
(1×103) + (2×102) + (3×101) + (4×l00)
1000 + 200 + 30 + 1
1234
As a computer programmer or an IT professional, you should understand the
following number systems which are frequently used in computers.
S.N. Number System & Description
1 Binary Number System
Base 2. Digits used: 0, 1
2 Octal Number System
Base 8. Digits used: 0 to 7
3 Hexa Decimal Number System
Base 16. Digits used: 0 to 9, Letters used: A- F
Binary Number System
Characteristics
Uses two digits, 0 and 1.
Also called base 2 number system
Each position in a binary number represents a 0 power of the base (2).
Example: 20
Last position in a binary number represents an x power of the base (2).
Example: 2x where x represents the last position - 1.
Octal Number System
Characteristics
Uses eight digits, 0,1,2,3,4,5,6,7.
Also called base 8 number system
Each position in an octal number represents a 0 power of the base (8).
Example: 80
Last position in an octal number represents an x power of the base (8).
Example: 8x where x represents the last position - 1.
Hexadecimal Number System
Characteristics
Uses 10 digits and 6 letters, 0,1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,A,B,C,D,E,F.
Letters represents numbers starting from 10. A = 10, B = 11, C = 12, D = 13, E
= 14, F = 15.
Also called base 16 number system.
Each position in a hexadecimal number represents a 0 power of the base (16).
Example 160.
Last position in a hexadecimal number represents an x power of the base
(16). Example 16x where x represents the last position - 1.
There are many methods or techniques which can be used to convert numbers from
one base to another. We'll demonstrate here the following −
Decimal to Other Base System
Other Base System to Decimal
Shortcut method − Binary to Octal
Shortcut method − Octal to Binary
Shortcut method − Binary to Hexadecimal
Shortcut method − Hexadecimal to Binary
Decimal to Other Base System
Steps
Step 1 − Divide the decimal number to be converted by the value of the new
base.
Step 2 − Get the remainder from Step 1 as the rightmost digit (least significant
digit) of new base number.
Step 3 − Divide the quotient of the previous divide by the new base.
Step 4 − Record the remainder from Step 3 as the next digit (to the left) of the
new base number.
Repeat Steps 3 and 4, getting remainders from right to left, until the quotient
becomes zero in Step 3.
The last remainder thus obtained will be the Most Significant Digit (MSD) of the new
base number.
Example −
Decimal Number: 2910
Calculating Binary Equivalent −
Step Operation Result Remainder
Step 1 29 / 2 14 1
Step 2 14 / 2 7 0
Step 3 7/2 3 1
Step 4 3/2 1 1
Step 5 1/2 0 1
As mentioned in Steps 2 and 4, the remainders have to be arranged in the reverse
order so that the first remainder becomes the Least Significant Digit (LSD) and the
last remainder becomes the Most Significant Digit (MSD).
Decimal Number − 2910 = Binary Number − 111012.
Other Base System to Decimal System
Steps
Step 1 − Determine the column (positional) value of each digit (this depends
on the position of the digit and the base of the number system).
Step 2 − Multiply the obtained column values (in Step 1) by the digits in the
corresponding columns.
Step 3 − Sum the products calculated in Step 2. The total is the equivalent
value in decimal.
Example 1:
Binary Number − 111012
Calculating Decimal Equivalent −
Step Binary Number Decimal Number
Step 1 111012 ((1 × 24) + (1 × 23) + (1 × 22) + (0 × 21) + (1 × 20))10
Step 2 111012 (16 + 8 + 4 + 0 + 1)10
Step 3 111012 2910
Binary Number − 111012 = Decimal Number − 2910
Example 2:
Octal Number − 258
Calculating Decimal Equivalent −
Step Octal Number Decimal Number
Step 1 258 ((2 × 81) + (5 × 80))10
Step 2 258 (16 + 5 )10
Step 3 258 2110
Octal Number − 258 = Decimal Number − 2110
Example 3:
Hexa Decimal Number – 13216
Calculating Decimal Equivalent −
Step Octal Number Decimal Number
Step 1 13216 ((1× 162)+ (3 × 161) + (2 × 160))10
Step 2 13216 (256 + 48 + 2)10
Step 3 13216 (306)10
Hexa Decimal Number − 13216 = Decimal Number − (306)10
Shortcut method - Binary to Octal
Steps
Step 1 − Divide the binary digits into groups of three (starting from the right).
Step 2 − Convert each group of three binary digits to one octal digit.
Example
Binary Number − 101012
Calculating Octal Equivalent −
Step Binary Number Octal Number
Step 1 101012 010 101
Step 2 101012 28 58
Step 3 101012 258
Binary Number − 101012 = Octal Number − 258
Shortcut method - Octal to Binary
Steps
Step 1 − Convert each octal digit to a 3 digit binary number (the octal digits
may be treated as decimal for this conversion).
Step 2 − Combine all the resulting binary groups (of 3 digits each) into a single
binary number.
Example
Octal Number − 258
Calculating Binary Equivalent −
Step Octal Number Binary Number
Step 1 258 210 510
Step 2 258 0102 1012
Step 3 258 0101012
Octal Number − 258 = Binary Number − 101012
Shortcut method - Binary to Hexadecimal
Steps
Step 1 − Divide the binary digits into groups of four (starting from the right).
Step 2 − Convert each group of four binary digits to one hexadecimal symbol.
Example
Binary Number − 101012
Calculating hexadecimal Equivalent −
Step Binary Number Hexadecimal Number
Step 1 101012 0001 0101
Step 2 101012 110 510
Step 3 101012 1516
Binary Number − 101012 = Hexadecimal Number − 1516
Shortcut method - Hexadecimal to Binary
Steps
Step 1 − Convert each hexadecimal digit to a 4-digit binary number (the
hexadecimal digits may be treated as decimal for this conversion).
Step 2 − Combine all the resulting binary groups (of 4 digits each) into a single
binary number.
Example
Hexadecimal Number − 1516
Calculating Binary Equivalent −
Step Hexadecimal Number Binary Number
Step 1 1516 110 510
Step 2 1516 00012 01012
Step 3 1516 000101012
Hexadecimal Number − 1516 = Binary Number − 101012
