📘 Lesson 2 of 21 · Arithmetic (Beginner)

🧮 Number Systems

A number system is a way of writing numbers using a set of symbols and rules. Computers, in particular, rely heavily on number systems other than the everyday decimal system.

Course progress: 10%

01 Key Concepts

Decimal (Base-10)

The system we use daily. Uses digits 0-9. Each place value is a power of 10.

Binary (Base-2)

Uses only digits 0 and 1. Each place value is a power of 2. Used inside computers.

Octal (Base-8)

Uses digits 0-7. Each place value is a power of 8.

Hexadecimal (Base-16)

Uses digits 0-9 and letters A-F (A=10 ... F=15). Each place value is a power of 16.

Converting Between Systems

To convert any base to decimal, multiply each digit by its place value (power of the base) and add the results.

03 Key Formulas

04 Solved Examples

Example 1 Convert binary 1011 to decimal.
  1. Positions from right: 1(2^0), 1(2^1), 0(2^2), 1(2^3).
  2. = 1x8 + 0x4 + 1x2 + 1x1
  3. = 8 + 0 + 2 + 1
Answer: 11
Example 2 Convert decimal 25 to binary.
  1. Divide by 2 repeatedly, recording remainders: 25÷2=12 r1, 12÷2=6 r0, 6÷2=3 r0, 3÷2=1 r1, 1÷2=0 r1.
  2. Read remainders bottom to top: 1 1 0 0 1
Answer: 11001
Example 3 Convert hexadecimal 2F to decimal.
  1. 2F means 2 in the 16s place and F (=15) in the 1s place.
  2. = 2x16 + 15x1
  3. = 32 + 15
Answer: 47

05 Practice Questions

1Convert binary 101 to decimal.
5
2Convert decimal 10 to binary.
1010
3Convert binary 1111 to decimal.
15
4Convert decimal 8 to binary.
1000
5Convert hexadecimal A to decimal.
10

📄 Number Systems — Downloadable Worksheet

10 questions with a full answer key. Grab the PDF to print, or try the interactive version in your browser.