The base 6 number system, also known as senary, is a numeral system that uses six as its base. In this system, only six digits are used: 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5. Unlike the commonly used decimal system, which is base 10 and employs ten digits (0-9), the base 6 system restricts itself to these six digits.
In positional numeral systems, the value of a digit depends on its position in the number. For example, in the base 6 number 245, the digits represent:
- 2 in the “sixes” place (2 × 6² = 72)
- 4 in the “sixes” place (4 × 6¹ = 24)
- 5 in the “units” place (5 × 6⁰ = 5)
So, the total value of 245 in base 6 can be calculated as:
72 + 24 + 5 = 101 in decimal (base 10).
Base 6 can be useful in certain mathematical calculations and theoretical computer science applications. Additionally, each base number system provides unique ways of representing values and can be used in various computational scenarios.