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Binary Number System
Computers are made up of tiny parts like transistors and switches that can be either ON or OFF.
These two states are shown using the numbers 0 and 1, called binary digits. Every instruction
given to a computer is turned into these binary digits so the computer can understand and carry
out the task. This system of 0s and 1s is called binary language, which is the basic language that
computers understand.
The term 'binary' comes from the prefix 'bi,' which means two, as seen in words like 'bicycle' (two
wheels) or 'binocular' (two eyes). Binary Numbers use a base of 2.
A binary number is composed of only 0s and 1s.
An example of a binary Number: 110100
There is no digit like 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 or 9 in binary numbers.
Name Size (bits) Examples
Bit 1 0 or 1
Nibble 4 1010, 1001
Byte 8 11001001, 00110011
Word 16 1010101010101010, 1111000011110011
In a binary number, if the last digit is 1, the number is odd. If the last digit is 0, the number is
even. For example, the binary number 1001 represents the odd number 9, while 1110 represents
the even number 14.
To understand how to form binary numbers, note that the binary system uses only two digits:
0 and 1, giving it a base of 2. Each digit, or bit, can be either 0 or 1. Binary digits combine to
represent various quantities, such as 1001. In binary, the positional value of each digit is twice the
place value or face value of the digit to its right. The weight of each position in a binary number
is a power of 2.
The place value of the digits according to position and weight is as follows:
Position 3 2 1 0 –1 –2
.
Weight 2 3 2 2 2 1 2 0 2 –1 2 –2
Clickipedia
A single binary digit, either '0' or '1', is known as a 'bit'. For instance, the sequence 11010
is made up of five bits. The term 'bit' is a combination of the words 'binary' and 'digit'.
Octal Number System
The Octal Number System has a base of 8 and uses 8 digits: 0 to 7. Each place in an octal number
represents a power of 8. For example, (345)₈ is an octal number. Octal makes long binary numbers
shorter and simpler.
Number System 23

