How to convert the base ten signed integer number -6 514 to base two:
- A signed integer, written in base ten, or a decimal system number, is a number written using the digits 0 through 9 and the sign, which can be positive (+) or negative (-). If positive, the sign is usually not written. A number written in base two, or binary, is a number written using only the digits 0 and 1.
To convert a base ten signed number (written as an integer in decimal system) to base two, written as a signed binary, follow the steps below.
- Divide the number repeatedly by 2: keep track of each remainder.
- Stop when you get a quotient that is equal to zero.
- Construct the base 2 representation of the positive number: take all the remainders starting from the bottom of the list constructed above.
- Determine the signed binary number bit length.
- Get the binary computer representation: if needed, add extra 0s in front (to the left) of the base 2 number, up to the required length and change the first bit (the leftmost), from 0 to 1, if the number is negative.
- Below you can see the conversion process to a signed binary and the related calculations.
1. Start with the positive version of the number:
|-6 514| = 6 514
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;
- 6 514 ÷ 2 = 3 257 + 0;
- 3 257 ÷ 2 = 1 628 + 1;
- 1 628 ÷ 2 = 814 + 0;
- 814 ÷ 2 = 407 + 0;
- 407 ÷ 2 = 203 + 1;
- 203 ÷ 2 = 101 + 1;
- 101 ÷ 2 = 50 + 1;
- 50 ÷ 2 = 25 + 0;
- 25 ÷ 2 = 12 + 1;
- 12 ÷ 2 = 6 + 0;
- 6 ÷ 2 = 3 + 0;
- 3 ÷ 2 = 1 + 1;
- 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.
6 514(10) = 1 1001 0111 0010(2)
4. Determine the signed binary number bit length:
The base 2 number's actual length, in bits: 13.
- 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) is reserved for 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, 13,
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:
6 514(10) = 0001 1001 0111 0010
6. Get the negative integer number representation:
To get the negative integer number representation on 16 bits (2 Bytes),
... change the first bit (the leftmost), from 0 to 1...
Number -6 514(10), a signed integer number (with sign),
converted from decimal system (from base 10)
and written as a signed binary (in base 2):
-6 514(10) = 1001 1001 0111 0010
Spaces were used to group digits: for binary, by 4, for decimal, by 3.