A number system defines a set of values used to represent quantity.
The study of number system will give us an insight into how a computer manipulates and stores numbers.It is not only used in computers but also in various electronic devices.
1. The Decimal number system.
- The number system with which we are the most familiar with ,that which we have been taught in school is the decimal system.
- The largest value of a digit in this system is 9.
- Each digit represents a different multiple of 10.These multiples are also called as weighted values.
- The leftmost digit is called as the MSB(most significant bit ).
- The rightmost digit is called as the LSB(least significant bit).
2. Binary number system
- Any electronic device does not operate on Decimal number system and hencethe binary number system has gained importance specially in the electronics and computer systems.
- A binary uses only two digits '0' & '1' respectively.
- The binary digits(0 & 1)are also known as bits.Thus binary system is a two bit system.
- Above is an example how to interpret a binary number in terms of our basic decimal nos.
3.Octal Number System
- In order to represent large numbers in the binary format we will need huge strings of 0's and 1's.
- The octal system can be used for reducing the size of the large binary number.
- Each digit in the octal system will assume 8 different values from 0 to 7.
4.Hexadecimal Number System
- When dealing with large values, binary numbers become too unwidely.
- The numbers are from 0 to F in which 0 to 9 represents the number as it is.
- After 9 ,10 is represented A,11 by B and so on till 15 by F.
- The largest value of a digit in the hexadecimal number higher than F will be 10.
- The largest two digit hexadecimal number is FF which corresponds to 255 in decimal system.