What are the steps to convert
1 - 1000 0100 - 111 1100 0000 1001 1111 0010, a 32 bit single precision IEEE 754 binary floating point representation standard to decimal?
1. Identify the elements that make up the binary representation of the number:
The first bit (the leftmost) indicates the sign,
1 = negative, 0 = positive.
1
The next 8 bits contain the exponent:
1000 0100
The last 23 bits contain the mantissa:
111 1100 0000 1001 1111 0010
2. Convert the exponent from binary (from base 2) to decimal (in base 10).
The exponent is allways a positive integer.
1000 0100(2) =
1 × 27 + 0 × 26 + 0 × 25 + 0 × 24 + 0 × 23 + 1 × 22 + 0 × 21 + 0 × 20 =
128 + 0 + 0 + 0 + 0 + 4 + 0 + 0 =
128 + 4 =
132(10)
3. Adjust the exponent.
Subtract the excess bits: 2(8 - 1) - 1 = 127,
that is due to the 8 bit excess/bias notation.
The exponent, adjusted = 132 - 127 = 5
4. Convert the mantissa from binary (from base 2) to decimal (in base 10).
The mantissa represents the fractional part of the number (what comes after the whole part of the number, separated from it by a comma).
111 1100 0000 1001 1111 0010(2) =
1 × 2-1 + 1 × 2-2 + 1 × 2-3 + 1 × 2-4 + 1 × 2-5 + 0 × 2-6 + 0 × 2-7 + 0 × 2-8 + 0 × 2-9 + 0 × 2-10 + 0 × 2-11 + 1 × 2-12 + 0 × 2-13 + 0 × 2-14 + 1 × 2-15 + 1 × 2-16 + 1 × 2-17 + 1 × 2-18 + 1 × 2-19 + 0 × 2-20 + 0 × 2-21 + 1 × 2-22 + 0 × 2-23 =
0.5 + 0.25 + 0.125 + 0.062 5 + 0.031 25 + 0 + 0 + 0 + 0 + 0 + 0 + 0.000 244 140 625 + 0 + 0 + 0.000 030 517 578 125 + 0.000 015 258 789 062 5 + 0.000 007 629 394 531 25 + 0.000 003 814 697 265 625 + 0.000 001 907 348 632 812 5 + 0 + 0 + 0.000 000 238 418 579 101 562 5 + 0 =
0.5 + 0.25 + 0.125 + 0.062 5 + 0.031 25 + 0.000 244 140 625 + 0.000 030 517 578 125 + 0.000 015 258 789 062 5 + 0.000 007 629 394 531 25 + 0.000 003 814 697 265 625 + 0.000 001 907 348 632 812 5 + 0.000 000 238 418 579 101 562 5 =
0.969 053 506 851 196 289 062 5(10)
= -63.009 712 219 238 281 25
1 - 1000 0100 - 111 1100 0000 1001 1111 0010, a 32 bit single precision IEEE 754 binary floating point representation standard to a decimal number, written in base ten (float) = -63.009 712 219 238 281 25(10)
Spaces were used to group digits: for binary, by 4, for decimal, by 3.