What is Binary?
When we count, we start at one and go up to ten, hundreds, thousands, and onwards. This is the common number system of base 10, also known as decimal. It is a system where each number place is a power of ten. There are ten decimal digits that range from 0 to 9. We get larger numbers by adding smaller values in groups divisible by the value of ten.
Look at these groupings of base 10 numbers:
Binary is another way to represent numbers using base 2 instead of base 10. We do the same thing by starting at one but the count goes up by twos, fours, eights and so on. Binary numbers are based on multiples of 2. It is based on the number 2. One binary digit is called a bit. Binary digits only range from 0 to 1. We get larger numbers by adding smaller values in groups divisible by the value of two.
Look at these groupings of base 2 numbers:
Bits, Bytes and Nibbles
Each digit in a binary numbering system is called a bit, short for binary digit. Each bit is a 0 or a 1. If you have 8 bits, you have a byte which is nothing more than an eight digit number. The only difference is that the digits will all be 0’s and 1’s. A nibble is half a byte or a 4 digit number in binary.
Putting it Together
Each bit in a series represents a value of 2, which is essentially the doubling of each previous number, starting from 1, going to 2, then 4, and so on. Just as you would add the ones, tens, and hundreds place to find the number, you would add the 1, 2, 4, and 8 places to find the value of the number represented in binary. Either there is a 1 or there isn’t. Either there is a 2 or there isn’t and so forth.