| 15 | Systems of Counting |
The decimal (base-10) counting system is used almost exclusively by laypeople throughout the world. This system is also used in general science. However, in some disciplines—especially computer programming and engineering—other counting systems are used. In this chapter, you’ll learn about these systems and how they relate to the decimal method of counting. You’ll also learn how powers and roots can be expressed as fractional exponents.
MECHANICAL COUNTERS
Before electronic calculators were invented, people used counters with little wheels that carried numbers. The numbers that showed through the front window were like those that electronic digital devices display nowadays. If you took the cover off the wheel assembly, ...
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