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.
0
The next 8 bits contain the exponent:
1000 0100
The last 23 bits contain the mantissa:
001 1011 1000 0000 0100 1111
1. 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)
2. 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
2. 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).
001 1011 1000 0000 0100 1111(2) =
0 × 2-1 + 0 × 2-2 + 1 × 2-3 + 1 × 2-4 + 0 × 2-5 + 1 × 2-6 + 1 × 2-7 + 1 × 2-8 + 0 × 2-9 + 0 × 2-10 + 0 × 2-11 + 0 × 2-12 + 0 × 2-13 + 0 × 2-14 + 0 × 2-15 + 0 × 2-16 + 1 × 2-17 + 0 × 2-18 + 0 × 2-19 + 1 × 2-20 + 1 × 2-21 + 1 × 2-22 + 1 × 2-23 =
0 + 0 + 0.125 + 0.062 5 + 0 + 0.015 625 + 0.007 812 5 + 0.003 906 25 + 0 + 0 + 0 + 0 + 0 + 0 + 0 + 0 + 0.000 007 629 394 531 25 + 0 + 0 + 0.000 000 953 674 316 406 25 + 0.000 000 476 837 158 203 125 + 0.000 000 238 418 579 101 562 5 + 0.000 000 119 209 289 550 781 25 =
0.125 + 0.062 5 + 0.015 625 + 0.007 812 5 + 0.003 906 25 + 0.000 007 629 394 531 25 + 0.000 000 953 674 316 406 25 + 0.000 000 476 837 158 203 125 + 0.000 000 238 418 579 101 562 5 + 0.000 000 119 209 289 550 781 25 =
0.214 853 167 533 874 511 718 75(10)
= 38.875 301 361 083 984 375
0 - 1000 0100 - 001 1011 1000 0000 0100 1111 converted from a 32 bit single precision IEEE 754 binary floating point standard representation number to a decimal system number, written in base ten (float) = 38.875 301 361 083 984 375(10)
Spaces were used to group digits: for binary, by 4, for decimal, by 3.