Expert: Paul Klarreich - 10/19/2010

Question
Express 234 as a numeral in base five.

Directions

Step 1: Find the largest power of n that will divide into
the base ten number.
Step 2: Divide the base ten number by the largest power of n
that you found in Step 1. Note quotient and remainder.
Step 3: Now divide the remainder from Step 2 by the next
lowest power of n. Note quotient and remainder.
Step 4: Now divide the remainder from Step 3 by the next
lowest power. Note quotient and remainder. Keep doing this
until you divided by n0. Do not skip powers.
Step 5: The quotients make up the base n number.

Can you explain how I go about doing this? It's changing
from base 10 to a given base.

I was dividing 5 from 234, then 46/5, then 9/5, etc

Thanks

Answer
Questioner:   Tiffany
Country:  United States
Category:  Advanced Math
Private:  No
 
Subject:  Changing from base 10 to a given base
Question:  Express 234 as a numeral in base five.

Directions

Step 1: Find the largest power of n that will divide into
the base ten number.
Step 2: Divide the base ten number by the largest power of n
that you found in Step 1. Note quotient and remainder.
Step 3: Now divide the remainder from Step 2 by the next
lowest power of n. Note quotient and remainder.
Step 4: Now divide the remainder from Step 3 by the next
lowest power. Note quotient and remainder. Keep doing this
until you divided by n0. Do not skip powers.
Step 5: The quotients make up the base n number.

Can you explain how I go about doing this? It's changing
from base 10 to a given base.

I was dividing 5 from 234, then 46/5, then 9/5, etc

Thanks
--------------------------------------
Your last sentence sounds the best.  I think you do this from the right, not the left:

234 / 5 = Quotient 46,  Rem  4  << rightmost digit.
46  / 5 = Quotient  9,  Rem  1
9   / 5 = Quotient  1,  Rem  4
1   / 5 = Quotient  0,  Rem  1  << must do this, whether you like it or not.

As soon as the quotient reaches zero, you are done.

Now your number is written  1414 [5]