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jmc

number theory intermediate

Problem

When the base-10 integers 200 and 1200 are expressed in base 2, how many more digits does 1200 have than 200 (after being converted)?
Solution
The largest power of 2 less than 1200 is , and the largest power of 2 less than 200 is . So, we know that 1200 in base 2 will be a 1 in the place followed by other digits, and 200 in base 2 will be a 1 in the place followed by other digits. Since is 3 places away from , 1200 will have more digits than 200 in their base-2 representations.
Final answer
3