Appendix A. Binary Number System—The Language of Computers

This appendix is for those readers who are interested in understanding how 1s and 0s can translate into something easier to understand.

Binary System (Converting Binary to Decimal)

The numbering system that computers use is called the binary system (also referred to as base 2). The system may seem awkward at first glance, but it uses the exact same logic as the base 10 (or decimal system) you use every day. You probably have not thought about this in a while, but think back to the days when you first learned to count and do basic math. Typically, you were taught to start with the “ones” column and count until the highest unit is reached, and then move over to the “tens” column. This continues ...

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