Which numbering system is based on powers of eight and uses digits 0-7?

Study for the Aircraft Electronics Technician Test. Boost your skills with flashcards and multiple choice questions, each with hints and explanations. Get prepared for your exam!

Multiple Choice

Which numbering system is based on powers of eight and uses digits 0-7?

Explanation:
Base-8 numbering uses digits 0 through 7 and each position represents a power of eight. That means a number written in this system is a sum of digits times eight raised to increasing powers, just like decimal uses powers of ten. For example, the octal number 345 means 3×8^2 + 4×8^1 + 5×8^0, which equals 192 + 32 + 5 = 229 in decimal. Octal is convenient in computing because eight is 2^3, so every octal digit corresponds neatly to a group of three binary digits, making conversions between binary and octal straightforward. This contrasts with decimal, which uses digits 0-9 and powers of ten; binary, which uses digits 0-1 and powers of two; and hexadecimal, which uses digits 0-9 and A-F and powers of sixteen.

Base-8 numbering uses digits 0 through 7 and each position represents a power of eight. That means a number written in this system is a sum of digits times eight raised to increasing powers, just like decimal uses powers of ten. For example, the octal number 345 means 3×8^2 + 4×8^1 + 5×8^0, which equals 192 + 32 + 5 = 229 in decimal. Octal is convenient in computing because eight is 2^3, so every octal digit corresponds neatly to a group of three binary digits, making conversions between binary and octal straightforward. This contrasts with decimal, which uses digits 0-9 and powers of ten; binary, which uses digits 0-1 and powers of two; and hexadecimal, which uses digits 0-9 and A-F and powers of sixteen.

Subscribe

Get the latest from Examzify

You can unsubscribe at any time. Read our privacy policy