Trying to read a string of binary 1's and 0's seems like a tough job. However, with a little logic, we can figure out what it means. Humans have adapted to using the base ten number system simply because we have ten fingers. On the other hand, computers only have two “fingers” – on and off, on and off, or zeros and ones. Thus, the base two number system was created.
Step
Method 1 of 3: Using Exponents
Step 1. Find the binary number you want to convert
We'll use this as an example: 101010.
Step 2. Multiply all the binary digits by two to the power of the place of the number
Remember that binary is read from right to left. The rightmost digit place is zero.
Step 3. Add up the results
Let's do it from right to left.
- 0 × 20 = 0
- 1 × 21 = 2
- 0 × 22 = 0
- 1 × 23 = 8
- 0 × 24 = 0
- 1 × 25 = 32
- Total = 42
Method 2 of 3: Another Format with Exponent
Step 1. Choose a binary number
Let's use 101. This is the same way but with a slightly different format. You may find this format easier to understand.
- 101= (1X2) to the power of 2 + (0X2) to the power of 1 + (1X2) to the power of 0
- 101= (2X2) + (0X0) + (1)
- 101= 4 + 0 + 1
-
101= 5
'Zero' is not a number, but its place value should be noted
Method 3 of 3: Place Value
Step 1. Find your numbers
The example we will use is 00101010.
Step 2. Read from right to left
For each place, the values are doubled. The first digit from the right has a value of 1, the second digit has a value of 2, then 4, and so on.
Step 3. Add up the values of the number one
Zeros have their place values, but they don't add up.
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So, in this example, add up 2, 8, and 32. The result is 42.
“No” to 1, “yes” to 2, “no” to 4, “yes” to 8, “no” to 16, “yes” to 32, “no” to 64, and “no” to 128.” Yes" means added up, "no" means skipped. You can stop at the last one digit
Step 4. Convert the values to letters or punctuation marks
In addition, you can convert numbers from binary to decimal or convert from decimal to binary.
In punctuation, 42 is the same as an asterisk (*). Click here for the chart
Tips
- Binary is calculated the same as regular numbers. The rightmost digit goes up by one until it can't go up anymore (in this case from 0 to 1), and then increases the next digit to the left and starts again from zero.
- The numbers we work with today have place values. Assuming that we are working with whole numbers, the rightmost digit is the ones place, the digit to the right of the digits is the tens place, then the hundreds place, and so on. Place values for binary numbers start with one, two, four, eight, and so on.
