32bit IEEE 754: Decimal ↗ Single Precision Floating Point Binary: 17.687 5 Convert the Number to 32 Bit Single Precision IEEE 754 Binary Floating Point Representation Standard, From a Base 10 Decimal System Number

Number 17.687 5(10) converted and written in 32 bit single precision IEEE 754 binary floating point representation (1 bit for sign, 8 bits for exponent, 23 bits for mantissa)

1. First, convert to binary (in base 2) the integer part: 17.
Divide the number repeatedly by 2.

Keep track of each remainder.

We stop when we get a quotient that is equal to zero.


  • division = quotient + remainder;
  • 17 ÷ 2 = 8 + 1;
  • 8 ÷ 2 = 4 + 0;
  • 4 ÷ 2 = 2 + 0;
  • 2 ÷ 2 = 1 + 0;
  • 1 ÷ 2 = 0 + 1;

2. Construct the base 2 representation of the integer part of the number.

Take all the remainders starting from the bottom of the list constructed above.


17(10) =


1 0001(2)


3. Convert to binary (base 2) the fractional part: 0.687 5.

Multiply it repeatedly by 2.


Keep track of each integer part of the results.


Stop when we get a fractional part that is equal to zero.


  • #) multiplying = integer + fractional part;
  • 1) 0.687 5 × 2 = 1 + 0.375;
  • 2) 0.375 × 2 = 0 + 0.75;
  • 3) 0.75 × 2 = 1 + 0.5;
  • 4) 0.5 × 2 = 1 + 0;

4. Construct the base 2 representation of the fractional part of the number.

Take all the integer parts of the multiplying operations, starting from the top of the constructed list above:


0.687 5(10) =


0.1011(2)


5. Positive number before normalization:

17.687 5(10) =


1 0001.1011(2)

6. Normalize the binary representation of the number.

Shift the decimal mark 4 positions to the left, so that only one non zero digit remains to the left of it:


17.687 5(10) =


1 0001.1011(2) =


1 0001.1011(2) × 20 =


1.0001 1011(2) × 24


7. Up to this moment, there are the following elements that would feed into the 32 bit single precision IEEE 754 binary floating point representation:

Sign 0 (a positive number)


Exponent (unadjusted): 4


Mantissa (not normalized):
1.0001 1011


8. Adjust the exponent.

Use the 8 bit excess/bias notation:


Exponent (adjusted) =


Exponent (unadjusted) + 2(8-1) - 1 =


4 + 2(8-1) - 1 =


(4 + 127)(10) =


131(10)


9. Convert the adjusted exponent from the decimal (base 10) to 8 bit binary.

Use the same technique of repeatedly dividing by 2:


  • division = quotient + remainder;
  • 131 ÷ 2 = 65 + 1;
  • 65 ÷ 2 = 32 + 1;
  • 32 ÷ 2 = 16 + 0;
  • 16 ÷ 2 = 8 + 0;
  • 8 ÷ 2 = 4 + 0;
  • 4 ÷ 2 = 2 + 0;
  • 2 ÷ 2 = 1 + 0;
  • 1 ÷ 2 = 0 + 1;

10. Construct the base 2 representation of the adjusted exponent.

Take all the remainders starting from the bottom of the list constructed above.


Exponent (adjusted) =


131(10) =


1000 0011(2)


11. Normalize the mantissa.

a) Remove the leading (the leftmost) bit, since it's allways 1, and the decimal point, if the case.


b) Adjust its length to 23 bits, by adding the necessary number of zeros to the right.


Mantissa (normalized) =


1. 0001 1011 000 0000 0000 0000 =


000 1101 1000 0000 0000 0000


12. The three elements that make up the number's 32 bit single precision IEEE 754 binary floating point representation:

Sign (1 bit) =
0 (a positive number)


Exponent (8 bits) =
1000 0011


Mantissa (23 bits) =
000 1101 1000 0000 0000 0000


The base ten decimal number 17.687 5 converted and written in 32 bit single precision IEEE 754 binary floating point representation:
0 - 1000 0011 - 000 1101 1000 0000 0000 0000

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