{"id":376043,"date":"2025-01-08T16:59:37","date_gmt":"2025-01-08T16:59:37","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.techopedia.com\/?post_type=definition&p=376043"},"modified":"2025-01-08T16:59:37","modified_gmt":"2025-01-08T16:59:37","slug":"binary","status":"publish","type":"definition","link":"https:\/\/www.techopedia.com\/definition\/binary","title":{"rendered":"Binary"},"content":{"rendered":"

What Is Binary?<\/span><\/h2>\n

In computer science<\/a>, binary is a fundamental concept and the most basic form of computer<\/a> code<\/a>. The binary number system<\/a> consists of only two numbers: \u201c0\u201d (zero) and \u201c1\u201d (one)<\/strong>. Every value can be represented using this system.<\/p>\n

In binary systems, each digit is referred to as a bit<\/a> (short for binary digit). Each bit can either be 0 or 1, representing no electrical charge (off) or an electrical charge (on). Bits are grouped in sets of 8, called bytes<\/a>, which are used to represent larger pieces of information like letters or numbers.<\/p>\n

Binary is explained as the system that allows computers to perform calculations or store information using a system of switches with two states: \u201coff or on\u201d or \u201cclosed or open,\u201d where each state is represented by 0 and 1.<\/p>\n

Binary code<\/a>, the machine-readable language used to run software<\/a>, is the foundation for how all modern computers work. Computers rely on it to perform operations, typically using millions or billions of tiny switches (called transistors<\/a>) that can be either on or off. Everything from software to data storage<\/a> and Internet<\/a> communications relies on binary code at the lowest level.<\/p>\n

Most people, including developers and programmers, do not work directly with binary code. Instead, they use high-level programming languages<\/a> (HLLs), visual tools, and <\/span>AI coding tools<\/span><\/a>,\u00a0<\/span>which computers translate into binary. Even tasks involving artificial intelligence<\/a> (AI) and machine learning<\/a> (ML) models rely on software and tools that handle binary code in the background.<\/p>\n

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Key Takeaways<\/span><\/h2>\n