Learning Binary

AllGuides

10 May

What is Binary?

Binary is a system of counting. You are most likely familiar with counting using 0-9. This is called the decimal number system. Binary is an alternative to the decimal number system. It existed before computers were invented. When computer scientists started building computers, they selected binary as the counting system that would run the computer’s brain. Binary is simple, it’s just 0 or 1. All computer’s decision-making skills comes down to just YES or NO, TRUE or FALSE, 1 or 0.

But if computers only think in 1 and 0, do they understand numbers like 3, or 20 or 500? Yes! Binary numbers only use the 0 and 1 character are able to represent any number we can think of. We just have to learn how to translate a decimal number to a binary number.

Value of Binary Digits

Each binary number is made up of digits each with their own value. Each digit can either be 1 or 0. If a digit is 1, that digit is ON. If it is 0, it is OFF. To get the final number you add together the values of the ON digits. Below we can see the value of the first 5 binary digits.

To translate 18 to binary we write 10010. We turn ON the 5th digit and the 2st digit.

Binary Examples

The number 3 in binary is written 11. We turn ON the first and second digit. The value of the first digit is 1 and the value of the second digit is 2. Together they equal 3.

The number 5 in binary is written 101. We turn ON the first and third digit. The value of the first digit is 1 and the value of the third digit is 4. Together they equal 3.

The number 20 in binary is written 10100. We turn ON the fifth and third digit. The value of the fifth digit is 16 and the value of the third digit is 4. Together they equal 20.