Binary Division - Some Rules

Some things to note when subtracting binary numbers during binary division: When carrying the 11, the next place value reads as 10 (or 2 decimal) in the top line of a subtraction. So, it follows that 10 reads as 10 = 2 decimal in the top line in binary. The same as 17 would read as 17 in the top line of a decimal subtraction. The payback of the 1 in the bottom line of the subtraction becomes 11 - which reads as 1 + 1 = 10 in binary, or 2 decimal. The following examples should help: Example 1: Perform the subtraction 58 1 in binary.

Dec

Binary

58 - 1 1 1 0 110 1 1 1 57 111001

Dec 303 27

Binary 1 1 11110 1 11 1 11011

Check the binary by converting back to decimal: 32 + 16 + 8 + 1 = 57

Example 2: Perform the subtraction

30 3 in binary.

Check the binary by converting back to decimal: 16 + 8 + 2 + 1 = 27

NOTE:

binary

binary

decimal

111 1
1

11 10 = 1

3 2 1

Alternative method of Binary division

From Wilson text pg277-78 Steps are as follows: 1. Convert the numbers to binary 2. Find the twos complement of the divisor (number you are dividing by) 3. Complete the long division by adding the twos complement of the divisor instead of subtracting the binary divisor.

Example: Perform the division of 99 / 9 in binary. 1. Decimal 99 = 110 0011 Decimal 9 = 1001

100 1
1

--- 1 011 1100 011 0 1 1 1+ 01 11 101 001 + 111 1 000 10011 01 +

2. Twos complement of divisor 9 is

1001 0110 ..ones complement 0111 .. Add 1 to get twos complement of 9 in binary

3. Perform long division by adding the twos complement to find the remainder, instead of subtracting the binary number of the divisor.

Ignore the front digit in all additions

Check your answer in decimal:

Binary 1 0 1 1 = 8 + 0 + 2 + 1 = 11 in decimal