Assignment:
Write a problem that you think would make a good exam question, give it's solution and a brief, well-written explanation of why you think it's a good exam question.


Problem:
Apply what you have learned about how to add binary numbers to the following hexadecimal equations.
(Note: Do not convert hexadecimal numbers to other bases when adding.)

a.) A1045F3₁₆ + 127D52E₁₆

b.) C872AD1₁₆ - A580DFB₁₆


Solution:

a.) B381B21₁₆

b.) 22F1CD6₁₆


Explanation:
It took our group about 10 minutes and a lot of thought to figure this one out. We took what we learned about adding binary numbers and adding decimal numbers, and tried to apply those concepts to adding hexadecimal numbers. Our biggest problem was figuring out how and when to carry. Do you carry when the total of the column exceeds 15 or 16? What do you carry over to the next column - a 1, F, or another number? After deep thought on this, we concluded that you would carry over when the row total equals or exceeds 16. (In decimal you carry at equal or more to 10.) And as with decimal and binary, you carry a 1 over the next column, be it the ten's column or to the 16^1 column, all that is carried over is a 1. It took us a few minutes to ponder it, but we eventually figured out why.

This problem will test a student's ability to recall previous information and test how well it can be applied in new situations. We learned addition of binary numbers in a homework problem, but we were never asked to even think about adding hexadecimals. Successful completion of this problem shows the student really has a grasp on how to compute in different bases.


Online URL: http://www.personal.psu.edu/users/b/s/bse114/ist230/hw4testquestion.html

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