-38.123 474 Converted to 32 Bit Single Precision IEEE 754 Binary Floating Point Representation Standard

Convert decimal -38.123 474(10) to 32 bit single precision IEEE 754 binary floating point representation standard (1 bit for sign, 8 bits for exponent, 23 bits for mantissa)

What are the steps to convert decimal number
-38.123 474(10) to 32 bit single precision IEEE 754 binary floating point representation (1 bit for sign, 8 bits for exponent, 23 bits for mantissa)

1. Start with the positive version of the number:

|-38.123 474| = 38.123 474


2. First, convert to binary (in base 2) the integer part: 38.
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;
  • 38 ÷ 2 = 19 + 0;
  • 19 ÷ 2 = 9 + 1;
  • 9 ÷ 2 = 4 + 1;
  • 4 ÷ 2 = 2 + 0;
  • 2 ÷ 2 = 1 + 0;
  • 1 ÷ 2 = 0 + 1;

3. 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.

38(10) =

10 0110(2)


4. Convert to binary (base 2) the fractional part: 0.123 474.

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) 0.123 474 × 2 = 0 + 0.246 948;
  • 2) 0.246 948 × 2 = 0 + 0.493 896;
  • 3) 0.493 896 × 2 = 0 + 0.987 792;
  • 4) 0.987 792 × 2 = 1 + 0.975 584;
  • 5) 0.975 584 × 2 = 1 + 0.951 168;
  • 6) 0.951 168 × 2 = 1 + 0.902 336;
  • 7) 0.902 336 × 2 = 1 + 0.804 672;
  • 8) 0.804 672 × 2 = 1 + 0.609 344;
  • 9) 0.609 344 × 2 = 1 + 0.218 688;
  • 10) 0.218 688 × 2 = 0 + 0.437 376;
  • 11) 0.437 376 × 2 = 0 + 0.874 752;
  • 12) 0.874 752 × 2 = 1 + 0.749 504;
  • 13) 0.749 504 × 2 = 1 + 0.499 008;
  • 14) 0.499 008 × 2 = 0 + 0.998 016;
  • 15) 0.998 016 × 2 = 1 + 0.996 032;
  • 16) 0.996 032 × 2 = 1 + 0.992 064;
  • 17) 0.992 064 × 2 = 1 + 0.984 128;
  • 18) 0.984 128 × 2 = 1 + 0.968 256;
  • 19) 0.968 256 × 2 = 1 + 0.936 512;
  • 20) 0.936 512 × 2 = 1 + 0.873 024;
  • 21) 0.873 024 × 2 = 1 + 0.746 048;
  • 22) 0.746 048 × 2 = 1 + 0.492 096;
  • 23) 0.492 096 × 2 = 0 + 0.984 192;
  • 24) 0.984 192 × 2 = 1 + 0.968 384;

We didn't get any fractional part that was equal to zero. But we had enough iterations (over Mantissa limit) and at least one integer that was different from zero => FULL STOP (Losing precision - the converted number we get in the end will be just a very good approximation of the initial one).


5. 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:


0.123 474(10) =

0.0001 1111 1001 1011 1111 1101(2)

6. Positive number before normalization:

38.123 474(10) =

10 0110.0001 1111 1001 1011 1111 1101(2)

7. Normalize the binary representation of the number.

Shift the decimal mark 5 positions to the left, so that only one non zero digit remains to the left of it:


38.123 474(10) =

10 0110.0001 1111 1001 1011 1111 1101(2) =

10 0110.0001 1111 1001 1011 1111 1101(2) × 20 =

1.0011 0000 1111 1100 1101 1111 1110 1(2) × 25


8. 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 1 (a negative number)

Exponent (unadjusted): 5

Mantissa (not normalized):
1.0011 0000 1111 1100 1101 1111 1110 1


9. Adjust the exponent.

Use the 8 bit excess/bias notation:


Exponent (adjusted) =

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

5 + 2(8-1) - 1 =

(5 + 127)(10) =

132(10)


10. 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;
  • 132 ÷ 2 = 66 + 0;
  • 66 ÷ 2 = 33 + 0;
  • 33 ÷ 2 = 16 + 1;
  • 16 ÷ 2 = 8 + 0;
  • 8 ÷ 2 = 4 + 0;
  • 4 ÷ 2 = 2 + 0;
  • 2 ÷ 2 = 1 + 0;
  • 1 ÷ 2 = 0 + 1;

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

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


Exponent (adjusted) =

132(10) =

1000 0100(2)


12. 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 removing the excess bits, from the right (if any of the excess bits is set on 1, we are losing precision...).


Mantissa (normalized) =

1. 001 1000 0111 1110 0110 1111 11 1101 =

001 1000 0111 1110 0110 1111


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

Sign (1 bit) =
1 (a negative number)

Exponent (8 bits) =
1000 0100

Mantissa (23 bits) =
001 1000 0111 1110 0110 1111


Decimal number -38.123 474 converted to 32 bit single precision IEEE 754 binary floating point representation:

1 - 1000 0100 - 001 1000 0111 1110 0110 1111

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How to convert decimal numbers from base ten to 32 bit single precision IEEE 754 binary floating point standard

Follow the steps below to convert a base 10 decimal number to 32 bit single precision IEEE 754 binary floating point:

  • 1. If the number to be converted is negative, start with its the positive version.
  • 2. First convert the integer part. Divide repeatedly by 2 the base ten positive representation of the integer number that is to be converted to binary, until we get a quotient that is equal to zero, keeping track of each remainder.
  • 3. Construct the base 2 representation of the positive integer part of the number, by taking all the remainders of the previous dividing operations, starting from the bottom of the list constructed above. Thus, the last remainder of the divisions becomes the first symbol (the leftmost) of the base two number, while the first remainder becomes the last symbol (the rightmost).
  • 4. Then convert the fractional part. Multiply the number repeatedly by 2, until we get a fractional part that is equal to zero, keeping track of each integer part of the results.
  • 5. Construct the base 2 representation of the fractional part of the number by taking all the integer parts of the previous multiplying operations, starting from the top of the constructed list above (they should appear in the binary representation, from left to right, in the order they have been calculated).
  • 6. Normalize the binary representation of the number, by shifting the decimal point (or if you prefer, the decimal mark) "n" positions either to the left or to the right, so that only one non zero digit remains to the left of the decimal point.
  • 7. Adjust the exponent in 8 bit excess/bias notation and then convert it from decimal (base 10) to 8 bit binary, by using the same technique of repeatedly dividing by 2, as shown above:
    Exponent (adjusted) = Exponent (unadjusted) + 2(8-1) - 1
  • 8. Normalize mantissa, remove the leading (leftmost) bit, since it's allways '1' (and the decimal sign if the case) and adjust its length to 23 bits, either by removing the excess bits from the right (losing precision...) or by adding extra '0' bits to the right.
  • 9. Sign (it takes 1 bit) is either 1 for a negative or 0 for a positive number.

Example: convert the negative number -25.347 from decimal system (base ten) to 32 bit single precision IEEE 754 binary floating point:

  • 1. Start with the positive version of the number:

    |-25.347| = 25.347

  • 2. First convert the integer part, 25. Divide it repeatedly by 2, keeping track of each remainder, until we get a quotient that is equal to zero:
    • division = quotient + remainder;
    • 25 ÷ 2 = 12 + 1;
    • 12 ÷ 2 = 6 + 0;
    • 6 ÷ 2 = 3 + 0;
    • 3 ÷ 2 = 1 + 1;
    • 1 ÷ 2 = 0 + 1;
    • We have encountered a quotient that is ZERO => FULL STOP
  • 3. Construct the base 2 representation of the integer part of the number by taking all the remainders of the previous dividing operations, starting from the bottom of the list constructed above:

    25(10) = 1 1001(2)

  • 4. Then convert the fractional part, 0.347. Multiply repeatedly by 2, keeping track of each integer part of the results, until we get a fractional part that is equal to zero:
    • #) multiplying = integer + fractional part;
    • 1) 0.347 × 2 = 0 + 0.694;
    • 2) 0.694 × 2 = 1 + 0.388;
    • 3) 0.388 × 2 = 0 + 0.776;
    • 4) 0.776 × 2 = 1 + 0.552;
    • 5) 0.552 × 2 = 1 + 0.104;
    • 6) 0.104 × 2 = 0 + 0.208;
    • 7) 0.208 × 2 = 0 + 0.416;
    • 8) 0.416 × 2 = 0 + 0.832;
    • 9) 0.832 × 2 = 1 + 0.664;
    • 10) 0.664 × 2 = 1 + 0.328;
    • 11) 0.328 × 2 = 0 + 0.656;
    • 12) 0.656 × 2 = 1 + 0.312;
    • 13) 0.312 × 2 = 0 + 0.624;
    • 14) 0.624 × 2 = 1 + 0.248;
    • 15) 0.248 × 2 = 0 + 0.496;
    • 16) 0.496 × 2 = 0 + 0.992;
    • 17) 0.992 × 2 = 1 + 0.984;
    • 18) 0.984 × 2 = 1 + 0.968;
    • 19) 0.968 × 2 = 1 + 0.936;
    • 20) 0.936 × 2 = 1 + 0.872;
    • 21) 0.872 × 2 = 1 + 0.744;
    • 22) 0.744 × 2 = 1 + 0.488;
    • 23) 0.488 × 2 = 0 + 0.976;
    • 24) 0.976 × 2 = 1 + 0.952;
    • We didn't get any fractional part that was equal to zero. But we had enough iterations (over Mantissa limit = 23) and at least one integer part that was different from zero => FULL STOP (losing precision...).
  • 5. Construct the base 2 representation of the fractional part of the number, by taking all the integer parts of the previous multiplying operations, starting from the top of the constructed list above:

    0.347(10) = 0.0101 1000 1101 0100 1111 1101(2)

  • 6. Summarizing - the positive number before normalization:

    25.347(10) = 1 1001.0101 1000 1101 0100 1111 1101(2)

  • 7. Normalize the binary representation of the number, shifting the decimal point 4 positions to the left so that only one non-zero digit stays to the left of the decimal point:

    25.347(10) =
    1 1001.0101 1000 1101 0100 1111 1101(2) =
    1 1001.0101 1000 1101 0100 1111 1101(2) × 20 =
    1.1001 0101 1000 1101 0100 1111 1101(2) × 24

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

    Sign: 1 (a negative number)

    Exponent (unadjusted): 4

    Mantissa (not-normalized): 1.1001 0101 1000 1101 0100 1111 1101

  • 9. Adjust the exponent in 8 bit excess/bias notation and then convert it from decimal (base 10) to 8 bit binary (base 2), by using the same technique of repeatedly dividing it by 2, as already demonstrated above:

    Exponent (adjusted) = Exponent (unadjusted) + 2(8-1) - 1 = (4 + 127)(10) = 131(10) =
    1000 0011(2)

  • 10. Normalize the mantissa, remove the leading (leftmost) bit, since it's allways '1' (and the decimal point) and adjust its length to 23 bits, by removing the excess bits from the right (losing precision...):

    Mantissa (not-normalized): 1.1001 0101 1000 1101 0100 1111 1101

    Mantissa (normalized): 100 1010 1100 0110 1010 0111

  • Conclusion:

    Sign (1 bit) = 1 (a negative number)

    Exponent (8 bits) = 1000 0011

    Mantissa (23 bits) = 100 1010 1100 0110 1010 0111

  • Number -25.347, converted from the decimal system (base 10) to 32 bit single precision IEEE 754 binary floating point =
    1 - 1000 0011 - 100 1010 1100 0110 1010 0111