- The binary number system (base 2) uses only 0s and 1s. Its a place value system with the following values for its 8 positive columns.

    2⁷         2⁶            2⁵            2⁴            2³            2²            2¹            2⁰

dec. value         128         64             32             16           8              4               2              1

        Every position is a bit, either 0 or a 1. An 8-bit number is a byte inside the computer. The range of possible positive values that one byte can represent is 0 to 225. The maximum, 225, will occur when all 8 bits are 0s.