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Pentonian Number System

The inhabitants of the planet Pent use a base-5 number system with the digits 0, 1, 2, 3, and 4. In this system, 14 is written as 24, representing 2 fives and 4 ones. Larger Pentonian numbers use place value, where 132 represents 1 * 52 + 3 * 51 + 2 * 1, which equals 42 in the Hindu-Arabic system. The document provides examples of converting between Pentonian and Hindu-Arabic numerals for different base-5 numbers.

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Vikram Bologanesh
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329 views2 pages

Pentonian Number System

The inhabitants of the planet Pent use a base-5 number system with the digits 0, 1, 2, 3, and 4. In this system, 14 is written as 24, representing 2 fives and 4 ones. Larger Pentonian numbers use place value, where 132 represents 1 * 52 + 3 * 51 + 2 * 1, which equals 42 in the Hindu-Arabic system. The document provides examples of converting between Pentonian and Hindu-Arabic numerals for different base-5 numbers.

Uploaded by

Vikram Bologanesh
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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PENTONIAN NUMBER SYSTEM

On the planet Pent, the inhabitants have five fingers in total, so they have a
number system with base 5.

By some strange intergalactic coincidence, they use the digits 0, 1, 2, 3 and 4 to


write their numbers.

Therefore their number for fourteen is 24 (2 fives and 4 ones.)

TASK 1 Investigate base 5 number system (small numbers)

Complete the table showing how Pentonians would write the first 1 2 3 4 10
twenty-five counting numbers.
11

44

LARGER PENTONIAN NUMBERS

To write larger numbers, Pentonians need to understand place value. In index notation, a Pentonian
would write the number 132 as:

132 = 1 × 52 + 3 × 51 + 2 × 1

So in our number system 132 represents the number 25 + 15 + 2 = 42

Complete the place value chart for Pentonian numbers.

6th place 5th place 4th place 3rd place 2nd place 1st place
53 52 51 units
125s 25s 5s 1s

To write their digit for two hundred, they need to work out how many groups of 125, 25, 5 and 1 they
can make from two hundred. The working is shown below.

Two hundred = 1 ´ 125 + 75


= 1 ´ 125 + 3 ´ 25
Filling in the place value chart you get:

125s 25s 5s 1s

1 3 0 0 So 200base 10 = 1300base 5
TASK 2 Investigate base 5 number system (larger numbers)

Use the place value chart (and your calculator if needed) to complete the table below. Each Pentonian
number needs its equivalent Hindu–Arabic numeral, and vice-versa.

Pentonian numeral Hindu–Arabic numeral Pentonian numeral Hindu–Arabic numeral


200 11111
100 1234
440 203040
625 10 000

Working space

6th place 5th place 4th place 3rd place 2nd place 1st place
125s 25s 5s 1s

CHALLENGE Try some Pentonian additions

Remember to carry over if the answer is larger than 4.

Example

403 13 403
+ 24 3 2 10 4
+ 4 22 4

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