What is the primary advantage of using Binary-Coded Decimal (BCD) instead of straight binary representation for decimal numbers?

Introduction / Context:
Binary-Coded Decimal (BCD) encodes each decimal digit using four bits, making it simple to map between human-readable decimal numbers and their digital representation. This question probes your understanding of why BCD is sometimes preferred despite its storage overhead compared to straight binary.

Given Data / Assumptions:

• BCD uses 4 bits per decimal digit (0000–1001 for 0–9).
• Straight binary represents the entire number in base-2 compactly.
• We are comparing representational advantages, not arithmetic performance.

Concept / Approach:
The chief benefit of BCD is the direct digit-by-digit correspondence with decimal. Conversions to and from decimal display are straightforward and avoid complex base-2 to base-10 conversion routines. This is valuable in financial and UI-centric systems where decimal precision and display are frequent operations.

Step-by-Step Solution:
1) Identify what the question asks: the main advantage, not every advantage.2) Evaluate options: storage efficiency vs. conversion ease.3) BCD is less storage-efficient than binary (usually more bits).4) Therefore, the correct advantage is ease of decimal ↔ BCD conversion for each digit.

Verification / Alternative check:
Example: Decimal 59 → BCD digits 5 (0101) and 9 (1001) → 0101 1001. Converting back to decimal is trivial by reading each nibble; straight binary 59 (0011 1011) requires full base conversion to display digit characters.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:
Fewer bits required: false; BCD typically uses more bits.BCD always more efficient: incorrect; the opposite is common.BCD eliminates all rounding: arithmetic precision depends on algorithms; BCD helps with decimal rounding but does not eliminate all issues.

Common Pitfalls:
Assuming BCD is “better” universally; it is better only when decimal presentation or exact decimal digit control dominates. For computation, straight binary is usually smaller and faster.

Final Answer:
The relative ease of converting to and from decimal