Binary numbers
Binary numbers is an interactive experiment in How a Computer Works, a free simulation from StudyFi Lab that runs right in your browser.
A computer stores numbers as bits, 0 and 1. Each bit has a place value — a power of two: 128, 64, … 2, 1 — and the number is the sum of the place values of the bits that are on. Hexadecimal writes every 4 bits as one digit 0–F, octal every 3 bits. In two’s complement the top bit has the negative value −128, so 11111111 means −1.
Try this: Turn on all 8 bits (255), then switch to two’s complement and watch 255 become −1.
Frequently asked questions
What does the “Binary numbers” experiment show?
A computer stores numbers as bits, 0 and 1. Each bit has a place value — a power of two: 128, 64, … 2, 1 — and the number is the sum of the place values of the bits that are on. Hexadecimal writes every 4 bits as one digit 0–F, octal every 3 bits. In two’s complement the top bit has the negative value −128, so 11111111 means −1.
How do I try “Binary numbers”?
Turn on all 8 bits (255), then switch to two’s complement and watch 255 become −1.
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