Groups of Bits make up a Byte

When 8 bits are grouped together, it is then known as a byte. And bytes are what computers use to represent various characters such as those you see on your keyboard. For example, when a computer needs to represent a number or a letter in the alphabet, it will group 8 bits together to make a single byte. Remember: a bit can only be a or a !, so a group o" eight #s and !#s will be a single byte. Numbers !! !!! $ !! !! ! % !! !! & !! ! !! ' !! ! ! ( !! ! ! ) !! ! 8 !! !!! * !! !! ! !! !!!! Upper Case A ! !!!!! + ! !!!! ! , ! !!!! - ! !!! !! . ! !!! ! F ! !!! ! / ! !!! 0 ! !! !!! 1 ! !! !! 2 ! !! ! ! Lower Case a ! !!!! b ! !!! ! c ! !!! d ! !! !! e ! !! ! " ! !! ! g ! !! h ! ! !!! i ! ! !! 3 ! ! ! !

4ou should see a pattern where each item in the above sequences are a single bit different than the previous one. 5his is true "or any +inary se6uence. Whether it be numbers, upper case letters, lower case letters or any other alpha7numeric se6uence. 5he caveat here is that you have to read the binary "rom right to le"t. 8ow do you see the pattern9 1" not, hover your mouse over the table and the pattern will highlight "or you. :ne "inal note be"ore moving on... you may be wondering what the number ! would be in the next se6uence o" +inary9 0ere#s a hint: the number ! will be a combination o" two bytes ;$ bytes < ( bits=.

Base 2 Mathematics
5he pattern you>re seeing is not by coincidence? there is a very logical mathematical reason which brings us back to the construct o" two. 5his construct o" two is also known as +ase $ mathematics where only two units are used and everything is based on the power o" $ "or each o" the 8 possible bits in a single byte: $! < $ <$ $$ < & $% < 8 $& < ( $' < %$ $( < (& $) < $8 ;any number to the power o" ! < = ;any number to the power o" < itsel"= ;$ x $ < &= ;$ x $ x $ < 8= ;$ x $ x $ x $ < (= ;$ x $ x $ x $ x $ < %$= ;$ x $ x $ x $ x $ x $ < (&= ;$ x $ x $ x $ x $ x $ x $ < $8=

Great, but what does this have to do with Binary?

Remember that we said +inary is a system consisting o" two units9 And we 3ust said our pattern uses +ase $ mathematics9 Well, here is where everything begins to merge into a larger pattern? and don>t "orget to read "rom right to le"t which means the lowest +ase $ value will be on the right, while the highest value will be on the le"t. Base 2 2! "# $2 " ! # 2 in Binary ! ! ! ! ! Binary %n&%ff :"" :"" :n :n :"" :"" :"" :n base 2 va'ue ! ! %$ ( ! ! ! sum ! @ ! @ %$ @ ( @ ! @ ! @ ! @ < &* 5he above table represents how the number ;one= is interpreted in a mathematical pattern using +ase $ mathematics and +inary values. Aince the +inary value will tell us i" the +ase $ number is used, all we have to do is add up all the B:nB values to come up with our uni6ue number that de"ines the number ;one=: &*. Base 2 2! "# $2 " ! # 2 (esu't in Binary ! ! !!! sum ! ! %$ ( ! ! ! < &* 2 in Binary ! sum ! $ in Binary ! sum ! # in Binary ! sum ! ) in Binary ! sum ! " in Binary ! sum ! * in Binary ! sum ! ! in Binary ! sum ! + in Binary ! sum ! ! !! ! ! %$ ( ! ! $ ! < '! ! !! ! %$ ( ! ! $

<'

! ! !! ! %$ ( ! & ! ! < '$ ! ! ! ! %$ ( ! & !

< '%

! ! ! ! %$ ( ! & $ ! < '& ! ! ! %$ ( ! & $

< ''

! !!! ! %$ ( 8 ! ! ! < '( ! !! ! %$ ( 8 ! !

< ')

, in Binary ! sum !

! !!!! ! %$ ( ! ! ! ! < &8