Digital value and units
Begin with “ETH, Gwei and Wei” and work toward “Unit conversion practice set”. Each available lesson includes a visual explanation and a quick knowledge check.
Read in order or choose a topic below. Completion marks stay in this browser. All 20 lessons in this track are available.
- 01
ETH, Gwei and Wei
The same amount of ether, measured with different sized rulers.
4 MIN READ - 02
What makes ETH different from tokens?
Native ETH is part of Ethereum’s accounting; a token follows its own contract.
3 MIN READ - 03
Count a billion and a quintillion
Group the zeros before large Ethereum numbers become intimidating.
3 MIN READ - 04
Convert ETH to Wei by hand
Move the value into whole Wei without losing any decimal digits.
3 MIN READ - 05
Convert Wei to ETH by hand
Divide a whole Wei amount by 10¹⁸ to display ether.
3 MIN READ - 06
Why Ethereum uses whole numbers
Count the smallest units, then format them for people.
3 MIN READ - 07
Why floating-point amounts can fail
Ordinary JavaScript numbers cannot preserve every possible Wei amount.
3 MIN READ - 08
Read a very large integer
Use groups and units to make long numbers legible without changing them.
3 MIN READ - 09
What are token decimals?
A token’s display scale tells you where to place the decimal point.
3 MIN READ - 10
Display units versus raw units
A friendly number and a machine integer can describe the same amount.
3 MIN READ - 11
Add and subtract exact ETH amounts
Convert to a common whole unit before combining amounts.
3 MIN READ - 12
Rounding versus truncation
Discarding digits and choosing the nearest display value are different operations.
3 MIN READ - 13
Why a converter is not a price feed
Unit conversion is fixed arithmetic; a market quote is changing external data.
3 MIN READ - 14
What does a token balance mean?
A number reported under a token contract’s rules, not a universal cash value.
3 MIN READ - 15
Native transfers versus token transfers
Sending ETH and asking a token contract to update balances use different fields.
3 MIN READ - 16
Total supply versus circulating supply
Contract accounting and estimates of market availability answer different questions.
3 MIN READ - 17
What does burning mean?
The word can describe different mechanisms for removing assets from usable supply.
3 MIN READ - 18
What does minting mean?
Creating units under a protocol or contract’s rules.
3 MIN READ - 19
Dust and very small balances
A tiny amount can be exact even when moving it costs more than the amount itself.
3 MIN READ - 20
Unit conversion practice set
Check the scale, preserve the integer, and verify your result.
3 MIN READ