Binary numeral system
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The binary numeral system is a way to write numbers using only two digits: 0 and 1. These are used in computers as a series of "off" and "on" switches. In binary, each digit's place value is double than that of the next digit to the right; the place value of the rightmost digit being 1. Here is a list of some numbers that can be made from these digits (zero is represented by a single "0"):
| Decimal | Binary | Explanation |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | 1 |
| 2 | 10 | 2+0 |
| 3 | 11 | 2+1 |
| 4 | 100 | 4+0+0 |
| 5 | 101 | 4+0+1 |
| 6 | 110 | 4+2+0 |
| 7 | 111 | 4+2+1 |
| 8 | 1000 | 8+0+0+0 |
| 9 | 1001 | 8+0+0+1 |
| 10 | 1010 | 8+0+2+0 |
| 11 | 1011 | 8+0+2+1 |
| 12 | 1100 | 8+4+0+0 |
| 13 | 1101 | 8+4+0+1 |
| 14 | 1110 | 8+4+2+0 |
| 15 | 1111 | 8+4+2+1 |
| 16 | 10000 | 16+0+0+0+0 |
Binary is a numbering system that is a series of 1s and 0s meaning (to the computers) on and off. It is base 2 and our number system (decimal) is base 10. Binary was invented by many people but is credited to Gottfried Leibniz, a German mathematician. The idea of binary was created in the 1600s. Binary has been used in nearly everything electronic; from calculators to supercomputers.
