binary numbers
Numbers stored in pure binary form. Within one byte (8 bits), the values 0 to 255 can be held. Two contiguous bytes (16 bits) can hold values from 0 to 65,535. See numbers and binary values.
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| Binary and Binary Coded Decimal |
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| The binary method converts the entire decimal number into a binary number. Note that the decimal number "260" takes only nine bits in binary. The 16 bits in the binary example above can hold a number as high as 65,535, using only two bytes instead of five. It also processes faster than binary coded decimal. |
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| How Numbers Are Stored |
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| Binary is one of four primary ways numbers are stored in the computer. |