Binary Number System

The binary number system is very similar to the decimal system that we use every day. The difference is the base of the numbering system. When we say decimal we mean base 10 (deci). What this simply means is that when we count we only go up to a maximum of 10 numbers before the numbers roll over.

For example. Base 10 (decimal system) Starts at 0 and then goes up to 9. 0,1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9 < This is a total of 10 numbers. After 9 the next number is 10 which is made up of a 1 and then a 0, the numbers have rolled over. when countin in a decimal system we never go over the number 9 because that is the last digit, afterwards we star over from 0 again.

Binary numbers work in the exact same way but their base is 2. Which means it uses a total of only 2 numbers. So when we count we start with 0, then 1 and we run out of numbers so we go to 10 and then 11 and again we run out of numbers so we go 100, then 101 and then it rolls over and we have 110 etc.

Counting in binary would look like this : 0, 1, 10, 11, 100, 101, 110, 111, 1000, 1001, 1010, 1011, 1100 etc.

In this way we can write in any base. if we would write in base 3 then we would have a total of only 3 numbers before they rolled over. This would be 0, 1, 2. so counting in base 3 would look like: 0, 1 ,2, 10, 11, 12, 20, 21, 22, 100, 101, 102, 110 etc.

Please post any questions that you have in regards to this!

The reason the Mayan calendar ends in December 2012 is because of the base number they count in. It seems like a random date for us becasue we count our calendar in the decimal number system. They use a combination of different bases (base 8, 4, 12 etc) and on December 2012 all the different numbers roll over and start from 0 again. Just like our weeks end on the 7th day, months on the 31st(usually), and years after 12 months.