Counting in Binary

Place value with powers of two

An interactive lesson with 6 steps, about 5 minutes: you predict, drag and solve, with instant feedback on every answer. It runs in your browser and needs JavaScript.

What you’ll learn

• Binary uses digits 0 and 1. Each place is worth twice the one to its right.
• To convert to binary, take the largest power of two that fits and repeat.
• $n$ bits can count from 0 up to $2^n - 1$.

Steps

1. Place value, again
2. Make 42
3. Read it
4. Doubling
5. Read a longer one
6. The biggest byte