The binary code is a simple code based on a binary system that has two possible states, on and off, usually represented by the values of 0 and 1. This digital code of 0 and 1, usually in groups of 8, is used to represent text, machine instructions, or data. Computers use the binary code because it is the fastest and most efficient way to work, and it also the only reliable way of storing data. The benefit of this system is that a given binary sequence does not have an established meaning on its own. Instead, data is encoded in binary according to a separate set of rules. Binary is read from right to left instead of left to right. To interpret numbers, each binary digit is multiplied two to the power of its place number. When you have the values, you add them all up. Letters, on the other hand, are understood by standard rules that assign a letter or a character to a specific set of binary digits. For example, the string 01010100 represents the letter “T”. Even though it may not always be clear whether a string, or a row, of binary digits represent a letter or a number, you can still interpret the string based on the context, just as you would if you were trying to guess whether a person was speaking Spanish or Italian. Binary code is also used to interpret images and sound. Though computer programmers, people who write computer code, will typically use more simple programing languages to give instructions to computers, learning how to read and write binary code is still important as it is considered to be the fundamental concept of programing and computer science. Ultimately, it’s the language that computers speak.
