NDA » NDA Study Material » Mathematics » Binary System of Numbers

Binary System of Numbers

Study material notes on the binary system of numbers, number system, calculating binary numbers, and other related topics in detail.

A number system can be described as a process of writing and expressing numbers. In a number system, there are four different types of the number system, and the binary system of numbers is one of those with base 2. These are mainly used in computer applications for programming and coding purposes. Every time the input is given to the computer system in the decimal form, it is further converted into binary digits, performs its functions and provides the required output. 

This article talks about the binary system of numbers. You will find brief information on the concept of the number system in Maths, a thorough explanation of bits in binary conversion, and other related topics. So, let’s start by describing the conversion of a number in a decimal system to a binary system in the Maths study material.

What is a number system in maths? 

The numeral system, commonly known as the number system, is the system that constitutes numbers. It is often referred to as a mathematical representation of numbers using a given set of digits or numbers in a consistent manner. It promotes easy arithmetic operations such as addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division. In other words, the number system is a way of representing numbers in computer architecture. There are four types of numbers in a number system. These include – 

  • Octal numbers with base 8

  • Binary numbers with base 2

  • Decimal numbers with base 10

  • Hexadecimal numbers with base 16.

Explain the binary system of numbers 

According to mathematics and digital electronics, the binary system of numbers can be expressed as a number written in the base 2 numeral system or the binary system. Also, it is used for describing the numeric values of two different symbols, including 0 (zero) and 1 (one). Today, all computer systems have binary systems in them also; every digit is referred to as a bit. 

The bit in binary number 

Every single digit in the binary system is referred to as the bit. In a binary system, there are multiple bits, such as 1001 is a four-bit binary number, 101 is a three-bit binary number, and 11 is a two-bit binary number. 

Binary numbers table

Number

Binary Number

Number

Binary Number

Number

Binary Number

1

1

11

1011

21

10101

2

10

12

1100

22

10110

3

11

13

1101

23

10111

4

100

14

1110

24

11000

5

101

15

1111

25

11001

6

110

16

10000

26

11010

7

111

17

10001

27

11011

8

1000

18

10010

28

11100

9

1001

19

10011

29

11101

10

1010

20

10100

30

11110

Calculating binary numbers 

Let the number be 1235. 

Here, 

Thousands

Hundreds

Tens

Ones

1

2

3

5

This means that 

1235 = 1 × 1000 + 2 × 100 + 3 × 10 + 5 × 1

Given,

1000

= 103 = 10 × 10 × 10

100

= 102 = 10 × 10

10

= 101 = 10

1

= 10

It can be described as,

Thousands

Hundreds

Tens

Ones

103

102

101

100

1

2

3

5

Hence,

1235 = 1 × 1000 + 2 × 100 + 3 × 10 + 5 × 1

= 1 × 103 + 2 × 102 + 3 × 101 + 5 × 100

There are different methods and formulas through which the decimal numbers can be converted into binary numbers. Here are the following steps through which the decimal numbers can be converted into binary numbers. 

Step 1: The given decimal number should be divided by 2 to give the result leaving the remainder behind. 

Step 2: In case the decimal number is even, let’s say 3,5,7,9, and so on, the remainder will be zero. 

Step 3: In case the decimal number is odd, let’s say 2,4,6,8, and so on, the remainder will always be 1. 

Step 4: By placing the reminders in a single order so that the Least Significant Bit is placed at the top whereas, the Most Significant Bit is at the bottom. In such cases, the required binary number can be obtained. 

Converting the number 294 in the binary number – 

Divide by 2

Result

Remainder

Binary Value

294 ÷ 2

147

0

0 (LSB)

147 ÷ 2

73

1

1

73 ÷ 2

36

1

1

36 ÷ 2

18

0

0

18 ÷ 2

9

0

0

9 ÷ 2

4

1

1

4 ÷ 2

2

0

0

2 ÷ 2

1

0

0

1 ÷ 2

0

1

1 (MSB)

Decimal to binary table 

Here is the decimal to binary conversion table – 

Decimal Number

Binary Number

0

0

1

1

2

10

3

11

4

100

5

101

6

110

7

111

8

1000

9

1001

10

1010

11

1011

12

1100

13

1101

14

1110

15

1111

16

10000

17

10001

18

10010

19

10011

20

10100

Binary addition 

Adding two binary numbers will give rise to the binary number in itself. 

Binary Numbers

Addition

0

0

0

0

1

1

1

0

1

1

1

0; Carry →1

Binary subtraction 

When two binary numbers are subtracted, it gives rise to the binary subtraction.

Binary Numbers

Subtraction

0

0

0

0

1

1; Borrow 1

1

0

1

1

1

0

Binary multiplication 

The multiplication process for the binary number is the same. Here is an example –

b1

Binary division 

The binary division is the same as the decimal number division method. Here is an example –

b2

Conclusion 

With this, we come to an end to the binary system of numbers. The binary system of numbers can be expressed as a number written in the base 2 numeral system or the binary system. It is one of the types of numbers in the number system. 

In this article describing the binary system of numbers, we studied the concept of the number system and binary numbers in length. We covered several other topics, such as the binary system of numbers and other related topics. We hope this study material helped you better understand the binary system of numbers.

faq

Frequently asked questions

Get answers to the most common queries related to the NDA Examination Preparation.

Explain three ways to determine the value of any digit of a number

Ans. There are three ways to determine the value of any digit of a number. These are as follows – The digit....Read full

What is the base 2 number called in the number system?

Ans. The base 2 number is called binary numbers in the number system.

What is the base 8 number called in the number system? 

Ans. The base 8 number is called octal numbers in the number system.

Explain bit in binary numbers 

Ans. Every single digit in the binary system is referred to as the Bit. in a binary system, there ...Read full