Understanding Number Bases
Every number base (or radix) is simply the number of unique digits, including zero, used to represent quantities. Decimal (Base 10) uses 10 digits (0-9). Binary (Base 2) is fundamental to computers, using only 0 and 1.
Common Bases
- Binary (Base 2): Used for internal machine representation (0, 1).
- Octal (Base 8): Used historically in computing (0-7).
- Decimal (Base 10): The standard system used by humans (0-9).
- Hexadecimal (Base 16): Used for memory addresses and color codes (0-9, A-F).