Converting a binary number to octal (base-8) is a straightforward process that involves grouping the binary digits into sets of three. Here’s a detailed step-by-step guide to help you understand the conversion process:
### Step-by-Step Conversion from Binary to Octal
1. **Write Down the Binary Number:**
Start with the binary number you want to convert. For example, let’s use `110110101`.
2. **Group Binary Digits in Sets of Three:**
Starting from the right (least significant bit), group the binary digits into sets of three. If there are not enough digits to form a complete group on the left (most significant bit), add leading zeros to make a full group.
For the binary number `110110101`:
- Group it from right to left: `110`, `110`, `101`
- If necessary, pad with zeros on the left: `011`, `011`, `010`, `1` (Pad `1` to `001`)
So, the binary number `110110101` groups as `011`, `101`, `110`, `110`.
3. **Convert Each Group to an Octal Digit:**
Convert each 3-bit binary group to its equivalent octal digit. Here’s the conversion table for 3-bit binary groups to octal digits:
| Binary | Octal |
|--------|-------|
| 000 | 0 |
| 001 | 1 |
| 010 | 2 |
| 011 | 3 |
| 100 | 4 |
| 101 | 5 |
| 110 | 6 |
| 111 | 7 |
Convert each binary group:
- `011` = `3`
- `101` = `5`
- `110` = `6`
- `110` = `6`
4. **Combine the Octal Digits:**
Combine the octal digits obtained from each binary group to form the final octal number.
For the binary number `110110101`, grouping from right to left gives us:
- `011` (3)
- `101` (5)
- `110` (6)
- `110` (6)
So, `110110101` in binary converts to `3566` in octal.
### Example Walkthrough
Let’s go through an example with a different binary number: `101011011`.
1. **Binary Number:** `101011011`
2. **Group Binary Digits:**
- Start grouping from the right: `101`, `011`, `011`, `010`
- Pad on the left if needed: `010`, `011`, `011`, `101`
3. **Convert Each Group:**
- `010` = `2`
- `011` = `3`
- `011` = `3`
- `101` = `5`
4. **Combine the Octal Digits:** `2335`
So, the binary number `101011011` converts to `2335` in octal.
### Summary
To convert from binary to octal:
- Group the binary digits into sets of three.
- Convert each 3-bit group to its octal equivalent using the binary-to-octal conversion table.
- Combine these octal digits to get the final octal number.
This method works because each octal digit corresponds to exactly three binary digits, making the conversion direct and simple.