Convert Base 3 to Octal

Convert Base 3 (base 3) to Octal (oct) instantly and accurately.

Selected Base 3 (base 3) - available characters: 0, 1, 2

Conversion Formula

Step-by-step example using the value 42 (decimal):

Convert Base 3 (base 3) → Octal (base 8)

Step 1: Expand each digit of 1120 (base 3) by position:

        1 × 3^3 = 27
        1 × 3^2 =  9
        2 × 3^1 =  6
        0 × 3^0 =  0
        ────────────
        Sum = 42 (decimal)

Step 2: Divide 42 by 8 repeatedly (read remainders upward):

        42 ÷ 8 = 5  r 2
         5 ÷ 8 = 0  r 5
        Read remainders upward: 52

────────────────────────────
Result:  1120 (base 3) = 52 (oct)

About Base 3

Ternary (base 3) uses digits 0, 1, 2. Each position is a power of 3: 3⁰=1, 3¹=3, 3²=9, 3³=27. Balanced ternary (−1, 0, +1) represents negatives without a sign and minimises rounding error. The Soviet Setun computer (1958) was the only practical balanced-ternary machine. Ternary underlies the Cantor set and Toom-Cook multiplication. Conversion: decimal 42 = 1×27+1×9+2×3+0 = 1120₃.

About Octal

Octal (base 8) uses digits 0-7. Each position is a power of 8: 8⁰=1, 8¹=8, 8²=64. Because 8 = 2³, each octal digit = exactly 3 binary bits. The Unix/Linux file permission system (chmod 755 = rwxr-xr-x; 7=111, 5=101) uses octal for concise 3-bit rwx triplets. The DEC PDP series encoded 12- and 16-bit words naturally in octal. In C/C++/JS a leading zero denotes octal: 0755 = 493₁₀. Conversion: decimal 42 = 5×8+2 = 52₈.

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