- A bit, short
for “binary digit,” is the most basic unit of data in computing. It
can have a value of either 0 or 1.
- Byte: A byte consists of 8 bits
and typically represents a single character, such as a letter or
number, in text.
- Binary Representation: All information in a computer system is
represented using binary digits, 0 and 1. This binary system is the
foundation of computer operations and data storage.
- Base (Radix): While computers use binary (base-2) for
internal data representation, numbers can be represented in any base.
Common bases include:
- Decimal (Base-10)
- Hexadecimal (Base-16)
- Octal (Base-8)
Base 10 representation
For example, in base 10, there are ten possible digits (0, 1, . . ., 9), in which each column value is a power of ten
Base 2 Representation
Base 2 has digits 0 and 1, with place values that are powers of two, as depicted
Conversion from Base 2 to Base 10:
converting from base 2 to base 10 is simply a matter of adding up the column values that have a 1.
Conversion from Base 10 to Base 2:
The algorithm for the conversion from base 10 to base 2 is to successively divide a number by two until the remainder becomes 0. The remainder of each division provides the next higher-order (binary) digit,
