CHAPTER 18: NUMBER BASES

1.1 Important concepts

Number Bases

Number in base
two

Number in base
eight

Only use digits 0

and 1.

Only use digits 0,

1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 and
7,
Place value :
838 2 8180

Place value :
23222120

Number in base
five
Only use digits 0,
1, 2, 3 and 4
Place value :
53525150

1.2 Number in base two

1.2.1 State the value of a digit of a number in base two.
Example :

11012

The value of a digit 1 is 1 23 = 8

1.2.2 Conversion of numbers in base two to the number in base ten.
Example : 1102 = (1 22) + (1 21) + (0 20)
=4 + 2 + 0
= 610
Example : 10012 =

1 0

= 8+1
= 910
1.2.3 Conversion of numbers in base ten to the number in base two.
Example : 2510
2
2
2
2
2

25
12
6
3
1
0

remainder
1
0
0
1
1

2510 = 110012

Number Bases

146

Example : 1210
4

1 1

1210 = 11002

1.3 Number in base eight

1.3.1

State the value of a digit of a number in base eight.

Example :

142
The value of a digit 4 is 4 80 = 4

1.3.2 Conversion of numbers in base eight to the number in base ten.

Example : 268 = ( 2 81) + (6 80)
= 16 + 6
= 2210

Example : 458 =

51

= 32

+5
= 37
1.3.3 Conversion of numbers in base ten to the number in base eight.
Example : 1910
8
8

19
2
0

512

64

remainder
3
2

1910 = 238
Example : 1710
8

1710 = 218

Number Bases

147

1.4 Number in base five

1.4.1 State the value of a digit of a number in base five.
Example : 225
The value of a digit 2 is 2 51 = 10
1.4.2 Conversion of numbers in base five to the number in base ten.
Example : 1425 = ( 1 52) + ( 4 51) + ( 2 50)
= 25 + 20 + 2
= 4710

Example : 1245 =

125

25

= 25 + 10 + 4
= 3910
1.4.3 Conversion of numbers in base ten to the number in base five.
Example : 2810
5
5
5

28
5
1
0

remainder
3
0
1

2810 = 1035

12

Example : 1210

1210 = 225

1.5 Conversion of number in certain base to a number in another base.

Number Bases

148

1.5.1

Conversion of number in base two to the number in base eight.

Example : 111012
4

2 1

1 1
3

10 1
5

2 1

111012 = 358
1.5.2

Conversion of number in base eight to the number in base two.

Example : 27

8
2
4

7
1

0 1 0

1 1 1

278 = 101112
1.5.3

Conversion of number in base five to the number in base two.

Example : 145
125

25

2
2
2
2
2

145 = 5 + 4
= 910

9
4
2
1
0

remainder
1
0
0
1

910 = 145 = 10012

1.5.4

Conversion of number in base five to the number in base eight.

Example : 145
125

25

8
8

145 = 5 + 4

9 remainder
1
1
0
1
145 = 910 = 118

= 910

1.5.5

Conversion of number in base two to the number in base five.

Example : 1112
8

5
5

1112 = 4 + 2 + 1

Number Bases

149

7
1
0

remainder
2
1
710 = 125

= 710

1.5.6

Conversion of number in base eight to the number in base five.

Example : 168
512

64

5
5

14 remainder
2
4
0
2
1410 = 245

168 = 8 + 6
= 1410
1.5.7

Perform computations involving addition of two numbers in base two.

Example :

1 0 0 12
+

1 0 12
1 1 1 02

1.5.8

Perform computations involving subtraction of two numbers in base two.

Example :

1 0 0 12
-

1 0 12
1 0 02

Objective Questions.

Number Bases

150

1 State the value of underlined digit in the in the 8 Express 93210 as number in base
five.
number 10 10101 2.
A 143
A5
A 4A
B 2125
B 8
C 22125
C 16
D 122125
D 32
9 Express 110102 as a number in base
eight.
A 26
A8
B 328
C 1228
D 11018

2 State the value of underlined digit in the

number 13240 5.
A 75
A
B 375
C 1875
D 3
3 Express 110111
ten.
A 13
A10
B 3110
C 5510
D 11010

as a number in base

10. Express 10 110 1012 as a number in base

eight.
A
2358
B
2648
C
2658
D
5518

4 Express 1548 as a number in base ten.

11 Express 4028 as a number in base two.

A 110010
A
2
B 1100100102
C 10000102
D 1000000102

A 80
A10
B 10810
C 86410
D 192510

12 Express 101102 as a number in base five.

A 22
A5
B 425
C 445
D 40445

5 Express 4235 as a number in base

ten.
A 846
A 10
B 42310
C 11310
D 76510

13 Express 4135 as a number in base two.

A 1001011
A
2
B 1000010112
C 1011002
D 11011002

6 Express 126 10 as a number in base two.

A 111110
A
2
B 11101102
C 11111102
D 11111112

14 Express 5468 as a number in base five.

A 334
A5
B 4135
C 24135
D 3415

7 Express 342810 as a number in base

eight.
A 544
A8
B 4288
C 27428
D 65448
155Express 7( 82 ) + 5 as a number in base two.
A 11100011
A
2

Number Bases

151

B 110001012
C 11101012
D 1110001012

22
Given that

16 Express 27 + 22 + 1 as a number in base

eight.
A 19
A8
B 1338
C 2058
D 7208

the value of x.
A 15
A
B 16
C 17
D 18
23 If x 2 = 2 5 + 2 3 + 2 0 , then x =

17 Express 10 110 1012 as a number in base

eight.
A
2358
B
2648
C
2658
D
5518

A
B
C
D

20 If 20008 = x 10 which is x is integer, find

the value of x.
A 1600
A
B 2500
C 1024
D 8192

A
B
C
D

11101
A 2
110012
101012
100012

25 Given that x2 = 1012 + 1015 , find the

value of x.
A
11112
B
10 1112
C
11 1112
D
101 1112

21. If x5 = 758 , then x =

A
61
B
211
C
221
D
111 101

PAST YEAR QUESTIONS

Number Bases

101
A 0002
101 0012
110 0012
110 0112

24. 100102 + 1112 =

18 Express 53 + 4 as a number in base five.

A
1045
B
3045
C
10045
D
30045
19 If y5 = 110 1112 , then y =
A
205
B
515
C
1605
D
2105

x1 0= 1 21+ 1 51+ 1 81, find

152

SPM 2003(Nov)

1. Express 11010101 2 as a number in base eight

A.
B.

2.

651 8
625 8

C.
D.

11101 2 + 1110 2 =
100011 2
A.
C.
111001 2
B.
D.

325 8
221 8

101111
101011

2
2

SPM 2004(Nov)

1. Express 5 3 + 3 as a number in base five

A.
B.

103
303

5
5

2. 11011 2 + 111 2 =
100010 2
A.
B.

101100

C.
D.

1003

3003

C.

110011

D.

111101

SPM 2004(July)

3. What is the value of the digit 3, in base ten, in the number 3728?
A.
B.

48
64

C.
D.

192
512

4. Convert 22 + 2(23 + 1) to a number in base eight

A.
B.

158
268

C.
D.

228
628

C.
D.

101102
100102

5. 110112 1012 =
A.
B.

10102
11102

SPM 2005(Nov)
1. 110001 2 1011 2 =

Number Bases

153

A.
B.

100100
100110

2
2

C.
D.

111010
111100

2
2

2. What is the value of the digit 2, in base ten, in the number 3241 5 ?
A.
B.

25
50

C.
D.

200
250

C.
D.

10112
11112

SPM 2005 (July)

3. 100102 - 11012
A.
B.

1012
1112

4. Express 11101002 as a number in base eight

A.
B.

1218
1648

C.
D.

4618
7208

SPM 2006(July)

1. It is given that k10 = 1100012, where k is an integer. Find the value of k.

A.
B.

48
49

C.
D.

97
98

C.
D.

100002
100112

2. 1012 + 10012 =
A.
B.

11102
11002

SPM 2007(Jun)
16. It is given that k10 = 1100012, where k is an integer. Find the value of k.
A.
B.

48
49

17. 1012 + 10012 =

A.
11102
B.
11002

C.
D.

97
98

C.
D.

100002
100112

SPM 2007(Nov)
18. 1100102 - 111012 =

Number Bases

154

A.
B.
19.

1011012
110002

C.
D.

1001012
101012

Given 3 x 53 + 4 x 52 + 5y = 3420 5 . Find the value of y.

A.
0
C.
3
B
2
D
4

SPM 2008(Jun)
20. Convert 324 8 to a number in base two.
A.

100001011 2

C.

B.

100010011 2

D.

21. 101002 - 11112 =

A.
1012
B.

1112

11001100 2
11010100 2

C.

10012

D.

10112

C.

101002

D.

101102

SPM 2008(Nov)
22. 101012 - 112 =
A.
100002
B.

100102

23. Convert 204 8 to a number in base five.

A.
1012 5
C.
1304 5
B.

2101 5

D.

4031 5

ANSWERS
Chapter 18 Number Bases
Objective questions
1. C
2.

Number Bases

3. C

4. B

155

5. C

6.
11.
16.
21.

C
D
C
C

7.
12.
17.
22.

SPM QUESTIONS
1. C
2. D
7. C
8. B
13. A
14. B
19. A
20. B

Number Bases

D
B
C
D

8.
13.
18.
23.

3. C
9. B
15. A
21. A

D
D
A
B

9.
14.
19.
24.

4. A
10. A
16. D
22. B

156

B
C
D
B

5. C
11. B
17. C
23. A

10.
15.
20.
25.

C
D
C
A

6. B
12. B
18. D