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computer-concepts numbersNumber systems: grouping

Number systems: grouping

Quantities can be grouped in different ways.

Number systems: grouping

Quantities can be grouped in different ways.

A number system is a way of grouping a value.
Instead of this:

We can group the dots like this: 2 groups of 10, plus 8, or 28.

If they were eggs we might group them like this: 2 groups of 12, or 2 dozen, plus 4.

In the binary (base 2) number system we would group them like this: 1 group of 16, 1 group of 8, and 1 group of 4. (There are no groups of 2 or 1)

The number of dots in each picture is the same. They are just grouped differently.
The number system we use every day, the decimal number system, is based on 10. 

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