Chapter 2 Flashcards
means the way to represent the various types of numbers. Each
of the number systems is built around the following components: the UNIT, NUMBER, and BASE (Radix).
Number System
a single object.
Unit
a symbol representing a unit or a quantity.
number
tells you the number of symbols used in that system
BASE (Radix)
is the digit that has greatest effect on that number.
Most Significant Digit (MSD) – Left Most Digit
is the digit that has least effect on that number.
Least Significant Digit (LSD) – Right Most Digit
is a system where the value of a number is defined not only by the symbol but by the symbol’s position
values depending upon the position
they occupy in
represent different values depending upon the position they occupy in the number.
Positional Number System
Use symbols such as I for 1, II for 2, III for 3,IIII for 4, etc.
Each symbol represents the same value regardless of its position in the number system.
Non-Positional Number System
Our present system of numbers has 10 separate symbols namely 0,
1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 and 9, which are called
Arabic numerals
binary digit is also referred to as
Bit
A string of 4 bits is called a ——- and a string of 8 bits is called a ——
nibble, byte
developed by the Chinese, is one of the earliest known calculators. It is still in use in some parts of the world.
abacus
invented the first adding machine.
1642 - Blaise Pascal (French)
developed a more compact device that could multiply, add, and subtract.
1660s - Sir Samuel Moreland
perfected a machine that could perform all the basic operations (add,
subtract, multiply, divide), as well as extract the square root. Modern electronic digital computers still use his principles.
1672 - Gottfried Wilhelm von Leibniz (German)
