Working with Different Bases

Date: 9/7/95 at 22:28:11
From: Anonymous
Subject: Grade six math

Could you please explain base 10 to me? Then base 4?

Date: 9/13/95 at 15:1:55
From: Doctor Steve
Subject: Re: Grade six math

We have ten symbols for counting (0,1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9). So what do we do
when we need to use numbers higher than 9? We make different places in our
numbers and know that each place has a different meaning.  The first place
is the "ones" place.  The second is the "tens". The third is the "hundreds"
and so on. Each place is ten times greater than the one to its right.

So the number 159 means: 1 hundred + 5 tens + 9 ones

Base four works the same way but we only have four symbols (0,1,2,3)
for counting and each place is four times greater than the one to its right.

In base four the number 203 means: 2 sixteens + 0 fours + 3 ones

So, my question to you is what would that number be in base ten?

Write back if you would like to know more.

- Doctor Steve,  The Geometry Forum