Computer Studies Notes Std.
7
Ch.2 Number System
Introduction:
• In the early 1960s , computers had no way of communicating with each other due to different ways
of representing keys of the keyboard.
• So, to set up a common standard the encoding scheme ASCII (American Standard Code for
Information Interchange) was developed.
• Each key of the keyboard is internally mapped to an ASCII code following an encoding scheme.
• This encoded value is then converted to its binary form so the computer can understand it.
• A number system is a method to represent (write) numbers.
• 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 System
Binary Octal Decimal Hexadecimal
(Base 2 ) (Base 8 ) (Base 10 ) (Base 16 )
Uses digits Uses digits Uses digits Uses
(0 & 1 ) (0 - 7 ) (0 – 9 ) Digits : (0 - 9)
Alphabets : A - F
Decimal Number System – It consists of 10 digits i.e. 0 to 9 with the base 10. Each number can be used
individually or grouped to form a numeric value like 82 , - 256 , 52.87, etc. The value of each digit in a
number system depends upon the following:
• The face value of the digit
• The base of the number system
• The position of the digit in the number
Each position represents a specific power of
base (10). The right – most digit of a
number is called The Least Significant
Digit whereas the left – most digit is called
the Most Significant Digit. For example:
The number 547 can be represented in the
following way:
1
Binary Number System - It consist of only two digits i.e. 0 and 1 with the base 2. Since this system uses
two digits , it has the base 2. All digital computers use this number system and convert the input data from
the decimal form to into binary form.
Importance of Binary Code: A computer understands only the binary code. Therefore, data that is
entered in the computer must be converted into binary form. For the output the binary form should again
be converted into their decimal equivalent.
The equivalence between binary and decimal number can be understood with the help of the given
example. To convert decimal number into the binary number, follow the given rules:
• Divide the given number with the base 2.
• Write down the remainder, divide the quotient again by 2.
• Repeat step 2 till the quotient becomes zero.
• Remainders that are obtained are written in the reversed order. i.e., the least significant digit is the
topmost number and most significant digit is the bottom – most number, to form the binary
equivalent of the decimal number.
To convert a binary number into decimal number, follow the given steps:
• Multiply each binary number with its positional value, which is the power of 2 starting from the
extreme right.
• Increase the power, one – by – one , keeping the base fixed as 2.
• Sum up all the products to get the decimal number.
The following are examples of binary to decimal conversion.
2
Octal Number System: It consist of 8 digits i.e., 0 to 7 with the base of 8. It takes binary digits in a group
of three instead of four. The base system of eight comes from the decimal number system only.
The procedure of ‘octal to decimal’ is similar to ‘binary to decimal’ conversion, the only difference is the
change of base. So, if you want to convert any octal number to decimal number you have to start
multiplying the digits of the number from the right-hand side with the increasing power of 8, starting from
0.After multiplication sum up all the products.
Hexadecimal Number System: This number system consists of 16 digits : 0 – 9 and the letters A to F.
The letters A – F represents the digits 10 – 15 with the base 16. This number system is also known as
Hex, where hex = 6 and decimal = 10 , so it is called the Hexadecimal.
Hex Decimal value
Hex Decimal value
8 8
0 0
9 9
1 1
A 10
2 2
B 11
3 3
C 12
4 4
D 13
5 5
E 14
6 6
F 15
7 7
3
The procedure of converting hexadecimal to decimal is similar to the methods shown below, the only
difference is the change of base. To convert hexadecimal number, multiply the number with the base 16.
Important Points:
• Aryabhata was India’s great mathematician. He introduced the concept of 0 (zero)
• The full form of ASCII is American Standard Code for Information Interchange.
• A computer understands on the binary code.
• The commonly used number system is the decimal number system with the base 10.
• The right-most digit of a binary number is called the least significant whereas the left-most digit is
called the most significant digit.
• The binary number system consists of two digits, 0 and 1 and has the base 2.
• The octal number system consists of 8 digits and has the base 8.
• the hexadecimal number system consists of 16 digits and has the base 16.
• Hexadecimal number system is also called Hex.
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