Number Bases Flashcards
(12 cards)
What is the purpose of a number base?
- Indicates how many different digits are available when using a particular number system.
- Indicates how many digits are needed to represent a number.
Why is hex useful for representing larger numbers?
• Fewer digits are required, can represent every byte as two consecutive hexadecimal digits instead of eight digits that would be required by binary.
Why may Hex result in confusion?
- Numbers in hex may convert to different numbers in decimal.
- Humans rarely use letters as numbers
What are the symbols, and names for powers of 2 for binary prefixes?
- kibi, Ki - 210
- mebi, Mi - 220
- gibi, Gi - 230
- tebi, Ti - 240
What are the names, symbols and corresponding powers of 10 for the decimal prefixes?
- kilo, k - 103
- mega, M - 106
- giga, G - 109
- tera, T - 1012
What is a bit?
Fundamental unit of information
What is a byte?
Group of 8 bits
How many different values can be represented with n bits?
2^n different values
How does moving the binary point to the left effect the range and accuracy?
- Moving the binary point to the left means that we can have more accurate decimals
- Range of whole numbers is reduced.
How does moving the binary point to the left affect the range and accuracy of the binary?
- Increases the range of the whole numbers
* Reduces the accuracy of the number due to fewer decimal points.
What is a disadvantage associated with 8 bit systems?
- Only store a very limited range of numbers.
* Largest positive number store-able is 255
What are the advantages of using floating point?
• Much wider range of numbers can be produced with the same number of bits as the fixed point.
