OCTAL NUMBER SYSTEM

AND HEXADECIMAL NUMBER

SYSTEM
STEM TECHNOLOGY ASSIGNMENT

JEREMIAH PINI
PORT MORESBY NATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL
TIC: Mr. Bilson
 Octal Number System
Introduction
The octal number system is a type of computer number system. What then is a number system? It is the
naming, representing or expressing of numbers. Binary number system, decimal number system,
hexadecimal number system and octal number system are for basic ways of representing numbers.

Base Type, Symbol, and the Idea behind the Octal Number System
Octal number system has a base of 8 or is a type of computer number system that uses the Base-8 system
in which the numbers 0 to 7 are used. Therefore, any number which has a base of eight is an octal number
system. The symbol of octal is used to represent numbers that have base 8. Octal numbers are written using
the prefix letter o before the numeral, for example, o04 or o1242. Octal numbers may also be represented
with a a suffix 8 to the lower right, such as 1098. Basically, any number with this representation or has a
base of eight or is an octal number system.

To understand an octal number system the position of every digit has a weight which is a power of 8. Each
position in the octal system is 8 times more significant than the previous position, meaning that the
numeric value of an octal number is influenced by multiplying each digit of the number by the value of the
position in which the digit appears and then summing the products. So, it is also a positional (or weighted)
number system.

Representation of the Octal Number System

Every octal number is represented by using 3 bits alone, with each group of bits having a pair of values
between 000 (for 0) and 111 (for 7 = 4+2+1). The equivalent binary number of Octal number are as given
below −

Octal Digit Value Binary Equivalent

0 000
1 001
2 010
3 011
4 100
5 101
6 110
7 111
Octal number system offers a suitable method in the conversion of enormous binary numbers into more
compressed and smaller groups, however this octal number system is less popular.

Most Significant Bit (MSB) Octal Point Least Significant Bit (LSB)

82 81 80 8-1 8-2 8-3

64 8 1 1/8 1/64 1/512

Since base value of Octal number system is 8, hence the maximum value of digit is equal and less than 7.
In this number system, the following positions to the left of the octal point having weights of 8 0, 81, 82,
83 and so on. Likewise, the following positions to the right of the octal point having weights of 8 -1, 8-2, 8-
3
and so on. This is known the base power of 8. The decimal value of any octal number can be determined
using the sum of product of each digit with its positional value.

Example-1 − The number 111 is interpreted as

111 = 1x82+5x81+7x80 = 157

Here, right most bit 7 is the least significant bit (LSB) and left most bit 1 is the most significant bit (MSB).

Example-2 − The number 65.125 is interpreted as

65.125 =1x82+0x81+1x80+1x8-1=101.10
Here, right most bit 0 is the least significant bit (LSB) and left most bit 1 is the most significant bit (MSB).

Example-3 − A decimal number 21 to represent in Octal representation

(21)10=2x81+5x80=(25)8
Thus, decimal value 21 is equivalent to 25 in Octal Number System.

Disadvantages & Advantages in the Octal Number System

Let’s start with the advantages:

1. First and foremost, since it uses less digits than hexadecimal and decimal number system, it
has fewer calculations and less calculational errors.
2. It as a very simple conversion process from binary to octal and vice versa.
3. The input and output of the octal form is easier to handle.
4. This number system is one third of the binary number system.

The disadvantages:

1. Since a computer doesn’t understand the octal number system an additional circuitry known
as octal to binary converters are required before it is applied onto the digital system.

2. Longer numbers for less value: a 6-digit decimal can have 11 million values

(00 to 999,999999,999) but a 6-digit octal number has 4 time less.
3. More rational numbers would need an endless digit string after the octal point
4. In reality, it has less or very limited applications.

Hexadecimal Number System

Introduction What is it? What base is it? What do the letters represent?...
Hexadecimal Number System is a number system whereby the value of base is 16. Thus, there are only 16
symbols or possible digit values. These are 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, A, B, C, D, E, F. A, B, C, D, E and F
are single bit representations of decimal value 10, 11, 12, 13, 14 and 15 respectively. It requires only 4 bits
to represent value of any digit. Hexadecimal numbers are indicated by the addition of either an 0x prefix or
an h suffix.

Position of every digit has a weight which is a power of 16. Each position in the Hexadecimal system is 16
times more significant than the previous position, that means numeric value of a hexadecimal number is
determined by multiplying each digit of the number by the value of the position in which the digit appears
and then adding the products. So, it is also a positional (or weighted) number system.

Representation of Hexadecimal Number

Each Hexadecimal number can be represented using only 4 bits, with each group of bits having a pair
of values between 0000 (for 0) and 1111 (for F = 15 = 8+4+2+1). The equivalent binary number of
Hexadecimal numbers are as given below.
Hex digit 1 0 2 3 4 5 6 7

Binary 0000 0001 0010 0011 0100 0101 0110 0111

Hex digit 8 9 A = 10 B = 11 C = 12 D = 13 E = 14 F = 15

Binary 1000 1001 1010 1011 1100 1101 1110 1111

Hexadecimal number system is similar to octal number system. Hexadecimal number system provides
convenient way of converting large binary numbers into more compact and smaller groups.
Most Significant Bit Hex Point Least Significant Bit (LSB)
(MSB)
162 161 160 16-1 16-2 16-3

256 16 1 1/16 1/256 1/4096

Since base value of Hexadecimal number system is 16, so the maximum value of digit is 15 and it can not
be more than 15. In this number system, the successive positions to the left of the hexadecimal point
having weights of 160, 161, 162, 163and so on. Similarly, the successive positions to the right of the
hexadecimal point having weights of 16-1, 16-2, 16-3and so on. This is called base power of 16. The decimal
value of any hexadecimal number can be determined using sum of product of each digit with its positional
value.

Example-1 − The number 512 is interpreted as

512=2x162+0x161+0x160=200
Here, right most bit 0 is the least significant bit (LSB) and left most bit 2 is the most significant bit (MSB).

Example-2 − The number 2015.0625 is interpreted as

2015.0625=7x162+13x161+15x160+1x16-1=7DF.10
Here, right most bit 0 is the least significant bit (LSB) and left most bit 7 is the most significant bit (MSB).
Example-3 A decimal number 21 to represent in Hexadecimal representation

(21)10=1x161+5x160=(15)16
So, decimal value 21 is equivalent to 15 in Hexadecimal Number System.

Counting in Hexadecimal Numbers

Counting in hexadecimal numbers is similar to counting in decimal, except there are six more digits to deal
with. Once a digit place becomes greater than "F", we roll that place over to "0", and increase the digit to
the left by 1.

Counting:

Decimal Hexadecimal ... Decimal Hexadecimal

0 0 8 8
1 1 9 9
2 2 10 A
3 3 11 B
4 4 12 C
5 5 13 D
6 6 14 E
7 7 15 F

When F16 is reached, similar in increasing from 910 to 1010 in decimal, we roll up to 1016:

Decimal Hexadecimal ... Decimal Hexadecimal

16 10 24 18
17 11 25 19
18 12 26 1A
19 13 27 1B
20 14 28 1C
21 15 29 1D
22 16 30 1E
23 17 31 1F

Once 1F16 is reached, roll up to 2016 and keep churning the right-most digit from 0 to F.

Advantages and Disadvantages

The advantages include:
1. The main advantage of using Hexadecimal numbers is that it uses less memory to store more
numbers, for example it store 256 numbers in two digits whereas decimal number stores 100
numbers in two digits.
 2. This number system is also used to represent Computer memory addresses. It uses only 4 bits
to represent any digit in binary and easy to convert from hexadecimal to binary and vice-
versa.
3. It is easier to handle input and output in the hexadecimal form.
4. There is wide number of advantages in data science field, artificial intelligence and machine
learning.
The disadvantages are:
1. The major disadvantage of Hexadecimal number system is that it may not an easy to read and
write for people, and also difficult to perform operations like multiplications, divisions using
hexadecimal number system. Hexadecimal numbers is most difficult number system for
dealing with Computer’s data.

Reference:

https://www.electronics-tutorials.ws/binary/bin_3.html

https://www.vedantu.com/maths/octal-number-system

https://learn.sparkfun.com/tutorials/hexadecimal/alF

https://www.tutorialspoint.com/hexadecimal-number-system

https://www.tutorialspoint.com/octal-number-system