The octal numbering system is yet another way to count things. The octal numbering system uses most of the symbols used for decimal. Octal counts from the symbol '0' (zero) to the symbol '7' (seven), then starts a new column. The value of each column in an octal number is eight times larger than the column before it.
Here's a comparison of octal to decimal numbers and the old finger count of objects you used back in first grade to count how many there are. Each value in each row is identical, they're just different ways of representing the same number value.
| Decimal | Octal | Finger counting |
| 0 | 0 | |
| 1 | 1 | * |
| 2 | 2 | * * |
| 3 | 3 | * * * |
| 4 | 4 | * * * * |
| 5 | 5 | * * * * * |
| 6 | 6 | * * * * * * |
| 7 | 7 | * * * * * * * |
| 8 | 10 | * * * * * * * * |
| 9 | 11 | * * * * * * * * * |
| 10 | 12 | * * * * * * * * * * |
Here's a more mathematical representation based on the powers of eight.
| 84 | 83 | 82 | 81 | 81 |
| 10000 | 1000 | 100 | 10 | 0 |
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