explain xkcd - User contributions [en]

953: 1 to 10

2024-04-04T19:17:41Z

Mathlander: proper punctuation

{{comic
| number = 953
| date = September 19, 2011
| title = 1 to 10
| image = 1 to 10.png
| titletext = If you get an 11/100 on a CS test, but you claim it should be counted as a 'C', they'll probably decide you deserve the upgrade.
}}

==Explanation==
The {{w|Binary number|binary numeral system}} refers to a counting system in base-2, which uses only the digits 0 and 1, as opposed to the more familiar base-10 decimal system, which uses the digits 0 through 9. In this case, the scale of 1 to 10 is using binary, so in decimal it would be a scale of 1 to 2. Since 4 in binary is "100" it doesn't fit into the range "1" to "10" in a binary system. And [[Megan]] doesn't even know the number "4" because she's only working on the binary system, this character does not exist for her.

It is also possible that Megan is using base-3 or base-4, both of which don't have a 4 (base-3 counts 1, 2, 10, etc., and base 4 counts 1, 2, 3, 10 etc.)

It should be noted that if Megan is speaking out loud in such a way that confuses Cueball, she would be saying "ten" out loud; this would automatically indicate she is indeed using base-10 (or higher). The correct pronunciation of "10" in base-2 is "one zero", so [[Megan]] is lying to [[Cueball]].

The title text uses a similar joke. Since test scores are usually written as either a letter grade or a percentage, 11 correct questions out of 100 would be a failing score in decimal notation. However, 11/100 in binary translates to 3/4 in decimal, which would be 75%, accepted in most classes as a 'C' grade.

It could also be argued that a score of 11 should count as a "B", as 11 is B in hexadecimal; however, this link is a bit more tenuous, as the whole score would then be interpreted as "B/64".

==Transcript==
:Megan: On a scale of 1 to 10, how likely is it that this question is using binary?
:Cueball: ...4?
:Megan: What's a 4?

{{comic discussion}}

[[Category:Comics featuring Megan]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]

[[Category:Binary]]

953: 1 to 10

2024-04-04T18:18:31Z

Mathlander: 100 in hexadecimal is 64, not 256

{{comic
| number = 953
| date = September 19, 2011
| title = 1 to 10
| image = 1 to 10.png
| titletext = If you get an 11/100 on a CS test, but you claim it should be counted as a 'C', they'll probably decide you deserve the upgrade.
}}

==Explanation==
The {{w|Binary number|binary numeral system}} refers to a counting system in base-2, which uses only the digits 0 and 1, as opposed to the more familiar base-10 decimal system, which uses the digits 0 through 9. In this case, the scale of 1 to 10 is using binary, so in decimal it would be a scale of 1 to 2. Since 4 in binary is "100" it doesn't fit into the range "1" to "10" in a binary system. And [[Megan]] doesn't even know the number "4" because she's only working on the binary system, this character does not exist for her.

It is also possible that Megan is using base-3 or base-4, both of which don't have a 4 (base-3 counts 1, 2, 10, etc., and base 4 counts 1, 2, 3, 10 etc.)

It should be noted that if Megan is speaking out loud in such a way that confuses Cueball, she would be saying "ten" out loud; this would automatically indicate she is indeed using base-10 (or higher). The correct pronunciation of "10" in base-2 is "one zero", so [[Megan]] is lying to [[Cueball]].

The title text uses a similar joke. Since test scores are usually written as either a letter grade or a percentage, 11 correct questions out of 100 would be a failing score in decimal notation. However, 11/100 in binary translates to 3/4 in decimal, which would be 75%, accepted in most classes as a 'C' grade.

It could also be argued that a score of 11 should count as a "B", as 11 is B in hexadecimal, however, this link is a bit more tenuous, as the whole score would then be interpreted as "B/64".

==Transcript==
:Megan: On a scale of 1 to 10, how likely is it that this question is using binary?
:Cueball: ...4?
:Megan: What's a 4?

{{comic discussion}}

[[Category:Comics featuring Megan]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]

[[Category:Binary]]