1. Start with the positive version of the number:
|-18 828| = 18 828
2. Divide the number repeatedly by 2:
Keep track of each remainder.
Stop when you get a quotient that is equal to zero.
- division = quotient + remainder;
- 18 828 ÷ 2 = 9 414 + 0;
- 9 414 ÷ 2 = 4 707 + 0;
- 4 707 ÷ 2 = 2 353 + 1;
- 2 353 ÷ 2 = 1 176 + 1;
- 1 176 ÷ 2 = 588 + 0;
- 588 ÷ 2 = 294 + 0;
- 294 ÷ 2 = 147 + 0;
- 147 ÷ 2 = 73 + 1;
- 73 ÷ 2 = 36 + 1;
- 36 ÷ 2 = 18 + 0;
- 18 ÷ 2 = 9 + 0;
- 9 ÷ 2 = 4 + 1;
- 4 ÷ 2 = 2 + 0;
- 2 ÷ 2 = 1 + 0;
- 1 ÷ 2 = 0 + 1;
3. Construct the base 2 representation of the positive number:
Take all the remainders starting from the bottom of the list constructed above.
18 828(10) = 100 1001 1000 1100(2)
4. Determine the signed binary number bit length:
The base 2 number's actual length, in bits: 15.
- A signed binary's bit length must be equal to a power of 2, as of:
- 21 = 2; 22 = 4; 23 = 8; 24 = 16; 25 = 32; 26 = 64; ...
- The first bit (the leftmost) indicates the sign:
- 0 = positive integer number, 1 = negative integer number
The least number that is:
1) a power of 2
2) and is larger than the actual length, 15,
3) so that the first bit (leftmost) could be zero
(we deal with a positive number at this moment)
=== is: 16.
5. Get the positive binary computer representation on 16 bits (2 Bytes):
If needed, add extra 0s in front (to the left) of the base 2 number, up to the required length, 16.