Lessons 2


Number Systems

pAfter completing this lecture you will be able to:

nUnderstand the numerical system.

nExplain why computer designers chose to use the binary system for representing information in computers.

nExplain different number systems

nTranslate numbers between number systems

nAppraise binary number system

Outline

pNumber bases used with computers

pWhy binary?

pNumber Base Conversion

pConversion of Fractions

Number Bases

p We are used to dealing with numbers in

       the decimal system, where we use a base

       of 10, counting up from 0 to 9 and then

       resetting our number to 0 and carrying

      1 into another column.

p This is probably a result of having ten fingers.

p The alien shown here has only eight fingers, so it would most probably work in base 8, counting from 0 up to 7 and then resetting to 0 and carrying 1.

p So the number 10 in this system would mean 8 in the decimal system.