What is it?
The binary number system is a base-2 number system. This means it only has two numbers: 0 and 1. All information in a computer (words, pictures, movies, sound) is stored and transmitted as sequences of bits, or binary digits.
A bit is a single piece of data which can be thought of as either zero or one. Each binary number is made up of bits, for example, the number 1010 is made of 4 bits. When you have 8 bits altogether, this is known as a byte. A byte may look like the number 01000100 and in this case represents the letter 'D'.
Australian Curriculum definition
Binary
A use of two states or permissible values to represent data, such as ON and OFF positions of a light switch or transistors in a computer silicon chip that can be in either the electrical state of ON or OFF.
Binary data are typically represented as a series of single digits referred to as binary digits (or bits) due to each taking on the value of either 0 or 1. The image below shows how a dashed line might be represented in binary.
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CURRICULUM LINKS
Level F - 2
Recognise and explore patterns in data and represent data as pictures, symbols and diagrams (ACTDIK002)
Levels 3 - 4
Recognise different types of data and explore how the same data can be represented in different ways (ACTDIK008)
Levels 5 - 6
Examine how whole numbers are used to represent all data in digital systems (ACTDIK015)
Levels 7 - 8
Investigate how digital systems represent text, image and audio data in binary (ACTDIK024)
Levels 9 - 10
Analyse simple compression of data are separated from presentation (ACTDIK035)
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