Number Systems Flashcards
(21 cards)
What is a natural number?
A natural number is a whole number used in counting, including zero.
What is a rational number?
Any value that can be expressed as a ratio or a fraction, includes all integer values.
What is an irrational number?
- Number that cannot be expressed as a fraction, and has an endless series of non-repeating digits, e.g. pi.
- Irrational number cannot be correctly represented using a finite number of digits, and therefore a rounding error will occur.
- Example being √2
What is a real number?
- Any natural, rational or irrational number.
* Set of real numbers is defined as the set of all possible real world quantities.
What is the set of integers referred to as?
ℤ
What is the set of rational numbers referred to as?
ℚ
What is the set of real numbers referred to as?
ℝ
What are natural numbers referred to as?
ℕ
What is an ordinal number?
Ordinal numbers describe the numerical position of objects, commonly used as pointers to a particular element in a sequence, or to define the position of something in a list.
Where might ordinal numbers be used?
When objects are placed in order, ordinal numbers are used to tell their position.
How can number bases be represented?
A number’s base can be written as a subscript to denote its value in the correct number system.
What are the bases for the various numbers systems?
- Decimal, base 10
- Binary, base 2
- Hexadecimal, base 16
How can you obtain the maximum value that can be represented using binary for n bits?
2^n - 1
What is the minimum value that can be used to represent binary for n bits?
0
Why is the hexadecimal number system used?
- The hexadecimal system is used as a shorthand for binary since it is simple to represent a byte in just two digits.
- Fewer mistakes are made in writing a hex number than a string of binary digits.
- It is easier for technicians and computer users to write or remember a hex number than a binary number.
What is a cardinal number?
Identify the size of a list`
What is an ordinal number?
Identifies the position of data within an ordered set.
When is data said to be well ordered?
When it has an internal structure that defines the relationship between the data items.
What are real numbers used for?
Measuring continuous or infinitely changing values.
Why do you count using natural numbers?
We only need to use positive whole numbers
Why do you measure using real numbers?
Range of numbers may be positive or negative and may require a fractional part.
