Computers use binary digits. And some puzzles can be solved using binary numbers.

A Binary Number is made up of only 0s and 1s.

Example of a Binary Number
There is no 2,3,4,5,6,7,8 or 9 in Binary!
How do we Count using Binary?
Binary

0
We start at 0
1
Then 1
???
But then there is no symbol for 2 ... what do we do?


Decimal

Well how do we count
in Decimal?

0
Start at 0

...
Count 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8, and then...

9
This is the last digit in Decimal

10
So we start back at 0 again, but add 1 on the left
The same thing is done in binary ...

Binary


0
Start at 0

1
Then 1

10
Now start back at 0 again, but add 1 on the left

11
1 more

???
But NOW what ... ?

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Decimal

What happens in Decimal ... ? 99
When we run out of digits, we ...
100
... start back at 0 again, but add 1 on the left
And that is what we do in binary ...

Binary


0
Start at 0

1
Then 1

10
Start back at 0 again, but add 1 on the left

11

100

start back at 0 again, and add one to the number on the left...
... but that number is already at 1 so it also goes back to 0 ...
... and 1 is added to the next position on the left

101

110

111

1000

Start back at 0 again (for all 3 digits),
add 1 on the left

1001
And so on!
See how it is done in this little demonstration (press play):
D e c i m a l v s B i n a r y
Here are some equivalent values:
Decimal: 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15
Binary: 0 1 10 11 100 101 110 111 1000 1001 1010 1011 1100 1101 1110 1111
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Here are some larger equivalent values:
Decimal: 20 25 30 40 50 100 200 500
Binary: 10100 11001 11110 101000 110010 1100100 11001000 111110100
"Binary is as easy as 1, 10, 11."
P o s i t i o n
In the Decimal System there are the Units, Tens, Hundreds, etc
In Binary, there are Units, Twos, Fours, etc, like this:
This is 18 + 14 + 02 + 1 + 1(1/2) + 0(1/4) + 1(1/8)
= 13.625 in Decimal
Numbers can be placed to the left or right of the point, to indicate values greater than one or
less than one.
The number to the left of the point is a whole
number (10 for example)

As we move further left, every number place
gets 2 times bigger.

The first digit on the right means halves (1/2).

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As we move further right, every number place
gets 2 times smaller (half as big).
Example: 10.1
The "10" means 2 in decimal,
The ".1" means half,
So "10.1" in binary is 2.5 in decimal
You can do conversions at Binary to Decimal to Hexadecimal Converter.
Words
The word binary comes from "Bi-" meaning two. We see "bi-" in words
such as "bicycle" (two wheels) or "binocular" (two eyes).
When you say a binary number, pronounce each digit (example, the binary
number "101" is spoken as "one zero one", or sometimes "one-oh-one"). This
way people don't get confused with the decimal number.
A single binary digit (like "0" or "1") is called a "bit". For example 11010 is
five bits long.
The word bit is made up from the words "binary digit"
How to Show that a Number is Binary
To show that a number is a binary number, follow it with a little 2 like this: 101
2
This way people won't think it is the decimal number "101" (one hundred and one).
Examples
Example: What is 1111
2
in Decimal?
The "1" on the left is in the "222" position, so that means 1222 (=8)
The next "1" is in the "22" position, so that means 122 (=4)
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The next "1" is in the "2" position, so that means 12 (=2)
The last "1" is in the units position, so that means 1
Answer: 1111 = 8+4+2+1 = 15 in Decimal
Example: What is 1001
2
in Decimal?
The "1" on the left is in the "222" position, so that means 1222 (=8)
The "0" is in the "22" position, so that means 022 (=0)
The next "0" is in the "2" position, so that means 02 (=0)
The last "1" is in the units position, so that means 1
Answer: 1001 = 8+0+0+1 = 9 in Decimal
Example: What is 1.1
2
in Decimal?
The "1" on the left side is in the units position, so that means 1.
The 1 on the right side is in the "halves" position, so that means 1(1/2)
So, 1.1 is "1 and 1 half" = 1.5 in Decimal
Example: What is 10.11
2
in Decimal?
The "1" is in the "2" position, so that means 12 (=2)
The "0" is in the units position, so that means 0
The "1" on the right of the point is in the "halves" position, so that means 1(1/2)
The last "1" on the right side is in the "quarters" position, so that means 1(1/4)
So, 10.11 is 2+0+1/2+1/4 = 2.75 in Decimal
"There are 10 kinds of people in the world,
those who understand binary numbers, and those who don't."

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