Which of the following bit-patterns represents the smallest value using the floating-point format in which the most significant bit is the sign bit,the next three bits represent the exponent field in excess notation,and the last four bits represent the mantissa?
A) 01001000
B) 01011000
C) 00101000
D) 01111000

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The first bit for the sign is always 0 for positive numbers. The 3-bit exponent field in excess notation represents values -4 through 3. The smallest value would be when all bits in the mantissa are set to 0, which would result in an exponent of -4 and a value of 2^-4 * 0. Therefore, the correct answer is 00101000.

Which of the Following Bit-Patterns Represents the Smallest Value Using