How the binary numeric system works

 

 

 

 

Learning how the binary numeric system works may seem like an overwhelming task, but the system itself is actually relatively easy.

The Basic Concepts of Binary Numeric Systems and Codes: 

The traditional numeric system is based on ten characters. Each one can be repeated however many times is necessarily in order to express a certain quantity or value. Binary numbers work on basically the same principle, but instead of ten characters they make use of only two. The characters of “1” and “0” can be combined to express all the same values as their more traditional counterparts.

With only two characters in use, the combination of them can seem a bit more awkward than a conventional numeric system. With each character only able to represent a basic “on” or “off” in the position that it occupies, they can still be combined, just like conventional numbers that hold a certain place within a numeric expression, in such a way that they will represent any number that is needed to complete an expression, sequence or equation.

  
Electronic Memory Storage and Binary Numbers:

Electronic data storage, like that used in computers or similar devices, operates based on minute electrical and magnetic charges. The challenge of converting this principle into a workable way to express numbers reveals the advantage offered by a numeric system based on the simple concept of “on” or “off”. Each individual character is called a bit, and will be either a “1” or a “0” depending on the presence or absence of an electromagnetic charge.

While unwieldy for use with any system other than a computational device capable of reading and making use of the numbers at terrific speeds, this system is ideal for electronic and computational devices. Used in far more than just your personal computer, the binary numeric system is at the heart of any number of electronic devices that possesses even a simplistic degree of sophistication. Learning more about this system and its uses can hold plenty of advantages for programmers, students of mathematics and anyone with a keen interest to learn more about the world around them.

 
Binary Numeric System Uses:

The first computers were analog machines that did not need electricity to function. Even so, they were able to make effective use of the earliest practical examples of the binary numeric system. The addition of electricity to their capacities and the use of primitive components like vacuum tubes allowed for the earliest generation of computers to advance rapidly in terms of applications and performance.