Chapter 1

Data representation in a
computer
Form three work

1
Introduction
 In digital computers,
the user inputs is
converted and
transmitted as
electrical pulses that
can be represented
by two digits ‘1’ and
‘0’ before processing.
These two digits are
referred to as Binary
digits.
Sending data via a telephone line
 When a digital signal is to be
sent over analog telephone
lines e.g. e-mail, it has to be
converted to analog signal.
This is done by connecting a
device called a modem to the
digital computer. This
process of converting a
digital signal to an analog
signal is known as
modulation. On the receiving
end, the incoming analog
signal is converted back to
digital form in a process
known as demodulation.
Concepts of data representation in digital computers

 Data and instructions cannot be entered

and processed directly into computers
using human language. Any type of data
entered must first be converted into
machine-readable form. (Binary form).
Computer together with it’s peripheral
devices handle data in it’s electronic
circuits, magnetic media and in optical
devices.
Data representation in electronic circuits
 Electronic
components such as
microprocessor are
made up of millions of
electronic circuits.
Availability of a high
voltage (ON) in these
circuits is interpreted
as ‘1’ while a low
voltage (OFF) is
interpreted as ‘0’.
Data representation on magnetic media
 The presence of a
magnetic field in one
direction on magnetic
media is interpreted
as ‘1’ while the
absence of magnetic
field is interpreted as
‘0’.
Data representation on optical media
In optical devices, the presence of light is interpreted as ‘1’
while its absence is interpreted as ‘0’.
 BITS – this is a binary digit, which can either be 0 or
1. it’s the basic unit of data or information in digital
computers.
 BYTE – a group of 8 bits. It is the basic unit of
measuring memory size in computers.
 NIBBLE – it is a half a byte or a group of 4 bits.
 WORD – its consists of one or more bytes and is the
largest amount of memory that the computer can
handle.
 WORD LENGTH – is the number of bits in each
word of computer.
Reading data on a CD-ROM
Types of data representation
 Number System

 Base conversion

 Negative Numbers

 Binary Addition
Types of number systems
 Decimal Number System

 Binary Number System

 Octal Notion

 Hexadecimal Number System

Decimal Number System
 This number system has ten digits ranging from
0-9. A decimal number should be written with a
subscript 10. e.g. 13210. Each digit of a given
number in the base has a place value, which is
influenced by base ten. E.g. number 1234 10
Binary Number System
 This number system uses two digits 1 and 0 to
represent numbers. The place value of the digits
of a base two number is influenced by two (the
base/radix). e.g. the place values of the 1010 2
are illustrated below
Octal Notation
 The octal number system consists of eight digits
running from 0-7. each digit of a number in base
eight has its place value determined by eight.
E.g. 21638 can be expressed as.
 Hexadecimal Number System
 This number system consists of sixteen digits ranging
from 0-9 and letters A-F where A is equivalent to 10, B
to 11 up to F which is equivalent to 15, in base ten
systems. Each digit of a number in base sixteen has
its place value expressed in terms of sixteen. For
example, the value 12A3 can be expressed as;
Base conversion
 Decimal to Binary
 Binary to Decimal Number
 Decimal to Octal
 From Octal to Decimal
 Converting Octal to Binary
 From Decimal to Hexadecimal
 Hexadecimal to Decimal
 Hexadecimal to Binary
 Decimal to Binary 1
 To convert a number from base 10 to base 2, the
number in base 10 is repeatedly divided by 2 unit the
divided is zero on each division the remainder is
noted. The remainders are copied bottom up wise to
give the binary equivalent of the decimal number.
Decimal to Binary 2
 For fractional numbers
the number is divided into
two parts. The whole
number part and the
fraction part. The whole
number is repeatedly
divided by 2 while the
fraction is repetitively
multiplied by 2 until the
fraction becomes zero or
starts recurring.
(Repeating it self)
Binary to Decimal Number 1
 Steps
1. First write the place
values starting from
the right hand side.
2. Write each digit
under its place value.
3. Multiply each digit by
its corresponding
place value.
4. Sum up the products.
Binary to Decimal Number 2
 For fraction number,
the whole number is
converted to decimal
as above. The
fraction part digits are
divided by multiples of
two starting from the
decimal point.
Decimal to octal 1
 To convert a number
from base 10 to base
8, the number in base
10 is repeatedly
divided by 8, until the
dividend is zero each
division the remainder
is noted.
Decimal to octal 2
 To convert fractional
decimal to octal the
procedure is same as
for fractional decimal
to binary, but the
multiplication is by 8
instead of 2.
Form Octal to Decimal
 The procedure is same
as from binary to decimal,
but the weights as
assigned in terms of 8’s.

 The fractional number are

converted to decimal
using the same
procedure as that of
converting fractional
binary to decimal, but
divisions is by multiplies
of eight.
Converting Octal to Binary
 Each digit is
represented by 3
binary digits. E.g. 7 is
represented as 1112
From Decimal to Hexadecimal 1
 The procedure is
same as from decimal
to binary though
divisions are by 16
From Decimal to Hexadecimal 2
 For the fractional numbers, the fraction part is
multiplied by 16.
Hexadecimal to Decimal
 The same procedure
as from Binary to
Decimal is used with
the weights assigned in
terms of 16’s.

 For fractional
hexadecimal values.
The division is by 16
and the procedure is
the same as the binary
fraction to decimal.
Hexadecimal to Binary
Examples of hexadecimal to binary
Negative numbers
 Both positive and negative numbers can
be represented in the computer memory
during processing. various methods are
used to represent negative numbers in
the computer. These methods are:
i. One’s compliment
ii. Two’s compliment
The negative numbers are used to carry
out subtraction in the computer
arithmetic operations.
One’s complement (1c method)
 In this method the binary bits representing the
negative number are negated that is the 1’s in
the number are changed to 0’s and 0’s to 1’s.
Two’s complement (2c method)
 In this method, the negative number is
represented into binary, then complimented as in
1c method but a ‘1’ is added to the least
significant digit of the complement value.
Signed magnitude
 In decimal numbers, signed number has a prefix
“+” for a positive number e.g. +3210 and “-” for a
negative number e.g. -3210. in binary, a negative
number may be represented by prefixing a digit
1 to the number while a positive number may be
represented by prefixing a digit 0.
i.e. 1710 ⇒ 100012 (unsigned)
-1710 ⇒ To indicate it’s a negative number we
add an extra bit (1) 100012
+1710 ⇒ To indicate it’s positive we add an extra
Advantages of two’s compliment
 There are no two ways of representing a
zero as in one’s compliment and signed
magnitude.

 Effective addition and subtraction can be

done even with numbers that are
represented with a sign bit.
Binary arithmetics
 Binary addition

 Binary subtraction

 Binary multiplication
Binary addition
 Binary addition rules

A+B sum +
carry
0+0 0 0
0+1 1 0
1+0 1 0
1+1 0 1
1+1+1 1 1
Binary subtraction
 Binary subtraction
rule

A-B difference
borrow
0-0 0 0
0-1 1 1
1-0 1 1
1-1 0 0
Subtraction using ones complements
Subtraction using two’s compliment
Binary multiplication
Multiplication rule
Product
A*B 0
0*0 0
0*1 0
1*1 1
Examples of binary multiplication
Symbolic representation using coding system

 Binary Coded Decimal (BCD)

 Extended BCD code / standard BCD code
 Extended Binary Coded Decimal
Interchange Code (EBCDIC)
 American Standard Code for Information
Interchange (ASCII)
Binary Coded Decimal (BCD)
 BCD is a 4 bit code used to represent
numeric data only. For example, a number
like 3 can be represented using binary
coded decimal as 00112. BCD is mostly
used in simple electronics devices like
calculators etc.
Extended BCD code / standard BCD code

 This standard binary coded decimal is an

enhanced format of binary coded decimal
(BDC) it’s a 7-bit representation scheme
which can represent non numeric
characters. This allows 64 characters to
be represented. For example letter A is
represented as 1100012 using standard
BCD code.
Extended Binary Coded Decimal Interchange Code (EBCDIC)

 EBCDIC is an 8-bit character coding

scheme used primarily in IBM computers.
A total of 256 (28) characters can be coded
using this scheme. For example letter A is
represented as 110000012 in EBCDIC
code.
American Standard Code for Information Interchange (ASCII)

 ASCII is a 7-bit code, which means that

only 128 characters can be represented.
There is an 8th bit to this coding scheme
which can provide for 256 characters. The
8th bit coding scheme is referred to as an
9-bit ASCII for example letter A is
represented as
10000012 in ASCII code
Review questions 1
1. Differentiate between analog and digital data.
2. Define the following terms:
a. Amplitude
b. Frequency
c. Periodic time
3. Explain the role of a modem in communication.
4. State the reasons for use of binary in digital technology.
5. Using illustration, explain how data is represented:
a. In electronic circuits
b. On magnetic media
c. On CD-ROM
6. Distinguish between:
a. A byte and a nibble
b. Word and word length
Answer of review questions 1-1
1. Analog data is a type of data that is continuous in nature
while digital data is in discrete form.
2. a). Amplitude is the maximum.
b). Frequency is the number of cycles per second.
c). Periodic time is the time taken by a signal to complete
a cycle.
3. A modem converts (modulates) data to be transmitted
over the telephone line from digital signal to analog form.
At the receiving end, the modem attached to the
receiving computer converts (demodulates) the analog
signal to original digital form.
4. Devices designed using binary logic are simple, more
reliable and consume less energy.
 Answer of review questions 1-2
5. a). In electronic circuits – availability of high voltage ‘on’ is
interpreted as a ‘1’ while low voltage ‘off’ is interpreted as a
‘0’.
b). On magnetic media, arrangement of magnetic dipoles of
iron oxide in one direction is interpreted as ‘1s” while those
that face in the opposite direction are interpreted as ‘0s’.
c). On the shiny surface of the CD are pits and lands. When a
laser beam falls on the shinny surface, it is reflected and
interpreted as a ‘1’. On the other hand, when the laser beam
takes on the pit or bump, there is no reflection and this is
interpreted as a ‘0’ bit.
6. a). A byte is made up of seven or eight bits while a nibble is
made up of four bits i.e. it is half of a byte.
b). A word consists of two or more bytes while a word length
is used as a measure of the number of bits in each word.
Review questions 2
 Convert the following base two numbers
into denary (base 10) numbers.
a. 01012
b. 11112
c. 101011011102
d. 101111112
e. 10110112
f. 1110001112
Answer of review questions 2
a. 510 d. 19110

b. 1510 e. 8910

c. 139010 f. 45510
Review questions 3
 Using the place value and log division
methods convert each of the following
base 10 numbers to their binary
equivalents.
a. 1010
b. 4310
c. 36510
d. 51210
e. 143
f. 95410
Answer of review questions 3
a. 10102 d. 10000000002

b. 1010112 e. 100011112

c. 1011011012 f. 11101110102
Review questions 4
1. Convert the 2. Convert the
following binary following decimal
numbers to their numbers into their
decimal equivalents. binary equivalents.
a. 0.100112 a. 0.63510
b. 0.00102 b. 0.45010
c. 0.101012 c. 2.50010
d. 11.01102 d. 5.162510
e. 101.111102 e. 7.187510
f. 100.1102 f. 0.35010
Answer of review questions 4
1. Convert the binary 2. Convert the decimal
numbers to their numbers into their
decimal equivalents. binary equivalents.

a. 0.5937510 a. 0.1012
b. 0.12510 b. 0.011102
c. 0.6562510 c. 10.10002
d. 3.37510 d. 101.001010011
e. 5.937510 e. 111.00112
f. 4.7510 f. 110101.01011102
Review questions 5
 Convert the following octal numbers to decimal
numbers.
a. 778
b. 648
c. 1028
d. 12008
e. 10008
f. 1738
g. 1238
h. 7778
i. 3458
j.
k.
1668
3458
Answer of review questions 5
a. 6310 f. 12310

b. 5210 g. 8310

c. 6610 h. 51110

d. 64010 i. 22910

e. 51210 j. 11810
Review questions 6
 Convert the following octal numbers to their
binary equivalents.
a. 2448
b. 2478
c. 1628
d. 5658
e. 2228
f. 33708
g. 14138
h. 13318
i. 63478
j. 466538
Answer of review questions 6
a. 101001002 f. 110111110002

b. 101001112 g. 110000110112

c. 11100102 h. 10110110012

d. 1011101012 i. 1100111001112

e. 100100102 j. 1001101101010112
Review questions 7
 Convert the following hexadecimal numbers
into decimal numbers.
a. 3216
b. CCD16
c. EFE16
d. 11916
e. 32816
f. ABD16
g. 10AFFD16
h. DDFF3416
i. 11ABDF16
j. CDFF3116
Answer of review questions 7
a. 5010 f. 95410

b. 327710 g. 109362910

c. 383810 h. 1454878810

d. 28110 i. 115811110

e. 80810 j. 1350020910
Review questions 8
 Convert the following hexadecimal numbers into binary
form
a. 29416
b. 24716
c. EFD16
d. 90716
e. BAD16
f. CBDF16
g. 585C16
h. ABCD16
i. 55C3A16
j. 33111CF16
k. Convert 1111000110111 to its hexadecimal equivalent.
Answer of review questions 8
a. 10100101002 g. 1011000010111002
b. 10010001112 h. 10101011110011012
c. 11101111111012 i. 10101011100001110
d. 1001000001112 102

e. 1011101011012 j. 11001100010001000
1110011112
f. 11001011110111112
k. IE3716
Review questions 9
Answer of review questions 9
1. 100012 7. 10001112
2. 101102 8. 1111112
3. 110012 9. 10000002
4. 1100112 10. 110010112
5. 10110012 11. 10010112
6. 101012 12. 11110012
Review questions 10
Answer of review questions 10
1. 11112 1. 111112
2. 0012 2. 102
3. 101002 3. 10100102
4. 10012 4. 110001102
5. 1101012 5. 100012
Review questions 11
1. Convert the decimal number -7 to 8-bit binary using
ones and twos complement.
2. Using 8-bits length, find the twos complement of the
following decimal numbers.
A) -3110
B) -2810
C) -510
3. Using ones and twos complement perform the following
arithmetic operations.
A) 1410 – 710
B) 2810 – 1210
C) 3410 – 3310
D) 10010 – 5010
E) 10210 – 6410
Answer the review questions 11
1. 111110012 3. A). 1112

2. A). 111000012 B). 100002

B). 111001002 C). 12

C). 111110112 D). 1100102

E). 01001122
 Revision questions 1
1. Explain the two types of 4. Convert the following
data signals. decimal numbers to their
2. Differentiate between decimal binary
equivalents.
A) Octal and decimal A) 78910
number systems. B) 57010
B) Binary and hexadecimal C) 4210
number systems. D) 3010
3. Convert the following binary 5. Find the sum of the
numbers to their decimal following binary numbers.
equivalents. A) 11102 + 11112 =
1. 1011102 B) 0012 + 1002 =
2. 1010112 C) 11012 + 10112 + 1002 =
D) 10102 + 1012 =
3. 01102
E) 1112 + 112 =
4. 10101
Answer of revision questions 1
1. Analog and digital
2. A). Octal number system is a base 8 system while the
decimal number system is a base 10 system.
B). Binary number system is a base 2 system while
hexadecimal number system is a base 16 system.
3. A). 4610
B). 4310
C). 610
D). 2210
4. A). 11000101012
B). 10001110102
C). 1010102
D). 111102
Revision questions 2
1. Work out the following binary 3. Determine the value of X in the
subtraction using direct, ones equations:
and twos complement A) 1001102 – X2 = 0010102
methods.
B) X2 + 11012 = 7010
A) 11001 – 1101
4. Work out the decimal equivalents
B) 1000 – 101 of the following binary numbers.
C) 100011 – 111
A) 0.100102
D) 10101110 – 1000110
B) 101.112
E) 10001000110 – 101
C) 11.1012
2. Find the ones and twos
complement of the following D) 0.0012
decimal number in binary 5. Work out the decimal equivalents
form. of the following binary numbers.
A) -7510 A) 0.3510
B) -8010 B) 2.5010
C) -10010 C) 0.2010
Answer of revision questions 2
1. A). 101012 1. A). 0.562510
B). 1012 B). 5.7510
C). 111002 C). 3.62510
D). 11112 D). 0.12510
E). 10102 2. A). 0.0101102
2. A). 11002 B). 10.12
B). 0112 C). 0.00112
C). 111002 D). 111.0012
D). 11010002
E). 100010000012
3. A). 111002
Revision questions 3
1. Write down the character represented by the following
codes:
A) ASCII
i. 0110000
ii. 0110111
iii. 1000011
iv. 1011001
B) EBCDIC
1. 11110000
2. 11110111
3. 11000001
4. 01011101
 Answer of revision questions 3
Char Char
ASCII EBCDIC acter
Num 1’s 2s
acter
ber complement complement

A) 0110000 0 11110000 0
. A) -75 0110100 0110101

B) 0110111 7 11110111 7
.
B) -80 0101111 0110000
C) 1000011 C 11000001 A
.
C) -100 0011011 0011100
D) 1011001 Y 01011101 )
.