Understanding the Decimal Number System
The decimal number system, also known as the base-10 numeral system, is the most commonly used numbering system in everyday life. It consists of ten digits ranging from 0 to 9.
This system is the foundation of most human counting and mathematical operations because it aligns naturally with our ten fingers.
Each position in a decimal number represents a power of 10, starting from the rightmost digit:
- Rightmost digit →
100 = 1 (ones place)
- Next digit to the left →
101 = 10 (tens place)
- Next digit →
102 = 100 (hundreds place)
- And so on...
Example:
543 = (5 × 102) + (4 × 101) + (3 × 100)
= 500 + 40 + 3
Because of its simplicity and universality, the decimal system is used globally in commerce, science, education, and daily calculations.
It also serves as the foundation for converting to other number systems like binary and hexadecimal, especially in computing.
Understanding the decimal system is essential before moving on to more specialized numbering systems, such as binary, which computers use at their most basic level.