Binary numeral system: Difference between revisions

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imported>Kevin J. Cole
m (Oops. "decimal" should have been "binary" in the second paragraph.)
imported>Kevin J. Cole
m (Subscripts for base-2 and base-10, and * became \times)
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The binary numbering system (also referred to as base-2, or radix-2), represents numbers using only the digits 0 and 1. This is in contrast with the more familiar decimal system (a.k.a. base-10, radix-10) which uses the digits 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, and 9.  In the decimal system, <math>10</math> represents one set of tens (<math>10^1</math>), and no sets of ones (<math>10^0</math>). One hundred, <math>100</math> represents <math>(1*10^2)+(0*10^1)+(0*10^0)</math>.
The binary numbering system (also referred to as base-2, or radix-2), represents numbers using only the digits 0 and 1. This is in contrast with the more familiar decimal system (a.k.a. base-10, radix-10) which uses the digits 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, and 9.  In the decimal system, each digit position represents a power of ten. <math>10</math> represents one set of tens (<math>10^1</math>), and no sets of ones (<math>10^0</math>). In binary numbering, system each digit position represents a power of two. <math>10</math> represents one set of twos (<math>2^1</math>) and no sets of ones (<math>2^0</math>).  


In binary numbering system, <math>10</math> represents one set of twos (<math>2^1</math>) and no sets of ones (<math>2^0</math>). <math>100=(1*2^2)+(0*2^1)+(0*2^0)=4+0+0=4</math>.
<table cellpadding="3" cellspacing="0" border="1">
<tr>
<th>Decimal</th>
<td><math>100_{10} = (1 \times 10^2) + (0 \times 10^1) + (0 \times 10^0)</math></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<th>Binary</th>
<td><math>100_2 = (1 \times 2^2)+(0 \times 2^1)+(0 \times 2^0)= 4_{10} + 0 + 0 = 4_{10}</math></td>
</tr>
</table>


Because the number of digits in the binary representation of a value can grow quickly, binary values are often represented in the hexadecimal numbering system (base-16), which uses the digits 0 through 9, followed by the letters A through F to represent the values ten, eleven, twelve, thirteen, fourteen, and fifteen.
Because the number of digits in the binary representation of a value can grow quickly, binary values are often represented in the hexadecimal numbering system (base-16), which uses the digits 0 through 9, followed by the letters A through F to represent the values ten, eleven, twelve, thirteen, fourteen, and fifteen.

Revision as of 11:19, 5 March 2007

The binary numbering system (also referred to as base-2, or radix-2), represents numbers using only the digits 0 and 1. This is in contrast with the more familiar decimal system (a.k.a. base-10, radix-10) which uses the digits 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, and 9. In the decimal system, each digit position represents a power of ten. represents one set of tens (), and no sets of ones (). In binary numbering, system each digit position represents a power of two. represents one set of twos () and no sets of ones ().

Decimal
Binary

Because the number of digits in the binary representation of a value can grow quickly, binary values are often represented in the hexadecimal numbering system (base-16), which uses the digits 0 through 9, followed by the letters A through F to represent the values ten, eleven, twelve, thirteen, fourteen, and fifteen.

Decimal Binary Hexadecimal
0 0 0
1 1 1
2 10 2
3 11 3
4 100 4
5 101 5
6 110 6
7 111 7
8 1000 8
9 1001 9
10 1010 A
11 1011 B
12 1100 C
13 1101 D
14 1110 E
15 1111 F
16 10000 10