Number Systems
This lesson covers the following topics:
- A Brief History of Number Systems
- How to Create a Number System
- The Decimal Number System
- The Binary Number System
- The Octal Number System
- The Hexadecimal Number System
A Brief History of Number Systems
How to Create the Decimal Number System
It's important to note that the base of the number system determines the number of symbols available to use in that same number system. From there, it's simply a matter of learning how number systems are structured (no need to fear, they are all created using the exact same process). Below is a list of the symbols available in the number systems discussed during this lesson.
- Decimal (base 10) → {0,1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9}
- Binary (base 2) → {0,1}
- Octal (base 8) → {0,1,2,3,4,5,6,7}
- Hexadecimal (base 16) → {0,1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,A,B,C,D,E,F}
The Decimal Number System
I am going to assume that you are already extremely familiar with the Decimal Number System. After all, you've likely spent the majority of you academic career studying it. And although you may consider yourself an "expert" in the Decimal System, it is very common for students to express that they've had a "revelation" after learning about other number systems and that they wished they'd have been taught this when they were much younger. For many students, it sort of feels like someone has removed a great veil that's been hiding the intricacies of Mathematics.
The Binary Number System
The Octal Number System
The Hexadecimal Number System
