Using unsigned magnitude form, we can only represent the positive numbers. Whereas, using signed magnitude form, we can represent both positive as well as negative numbers. In this article, we will highlight a few differences between the signed and unsigned magnitude forms of representing binary numbers.
| Unsigned Magnitude | Signed Magnitude | |
|
What can be represented |
Only +ve | Both +ve and -ve |
|
Type of bits in a number |
Only magnitude bits | One sign bit (MSB), remaining magnitude bits |
|
Range for ‘n’ binary bits (Ex: n = 4) |
0 to 2n-1 For n = 4; range is 0 to 15 |
-(2n-1-1) to +(2n-1-1) For n = 4; range is -7 to +7; ‘0’ has two representations, one for ‘+ve 0’ and another for ‘-ve 0’ |
|
Minimum number of bits required to represent a number |
For example, the number is 7; Binary representation is “111”; So 3 bits. |
For example, the number is 7; Binary representation is “0111”; An additional bit for the sign bit, So 4 bits. |
For a more detailed explanation, watch the following video.