Binary 2

In this activity we will explore a type of numbering system that you may not have seen
before called Binary.
Note: it is advised to have a calculator to hand when completing this worksheet.

The Decimal Numbering System

• The number system that you’re likely familiar with is called the Decimal system
• This is the number system with digits 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 and 9
• This number system should be familiar in that all numbers that we know, and work with
every day, are made up of some combination of these digits.

The Binary Numbering System

• The number system that we will look at in this worksheet is called Binary
• This is the number system consisting only of the digits 0 and 1
• For example, 10, 1011, 0101001 and 1110110 are all Binary numbers
• Binary is essentially the ‘language of computers’ in that computers use binary to store
and work with data

This worksheet will introduce the method to how we can switch from the decimal numbering
system to the binary numbering system.

Working with Remainders and Quotients

Let’s have a quick recap of what quotients and remainders are, as we will need to use these
later in the worksheet!
Take the following expression:
Quotient:
24 ÷ 3 = 8 The answer when we
Dividend: divide the dividend by the
The number divisor
Divisor:
to be divided
What our dividend is
divided by

The expression above is fairly simple to understand because 24 is a multiple of 3, such that
3 x 8 = 24.
Suppose instead we have: 26 ÷ 3
In this case, we calculate that 3 “goes into” 26 8 times (3 x 8 = 24) and then we have some
amount left over. We express this as follows:

Dividend Remainder:
26 ÷ 3 = 8 remainder 2 The integer
left over

Integer quotient:
Divisor The maximum number of times our
divisor “goes into” our dividend
Note: by ‘integer’, we mean a whole number.
We will practice a few of these on the next page…
 Binary 2
Have a go at solving the following questions, using what we have just learnt:

Example: 35 ÷ 3 = 11 remainder 2
1) 39 ÷ 4 = ___ remainder ___

2) 44 ÷ 5 = ___ remainder ___

3) 17 ÷ 3 = ___ remainder ___

4) 30 ÷ 3 = ___ remainder ___

Hints and Checks:

• The remainder must be less than the divisor
• If there is nothing left over we say the remainder is 0
• To check your answer, calculate (integer quotient x divisor) + remainder
The answer to this calculation should be the dividend!

Converting Decimal to Binary

To convert numbers from decimal to binary, we use the following method:

Step 1 Divide the given decimal number by 2 and note down the remainder.
Step 2 Divide the resulting quotient by 2, and note the remainder again.
Step 3 Repeat the above steps until you get 0 as the quotient.

Step 4 Write the remainders in such a way that the last remainder is written first,
followed by the rest in the reverse order.

Let’s understand this with an example: Convert the decimal number 19 to binary.

Step 1 19 ÷ 2 = 9 remainder 1

Step 2 9 ÷ 2 = 4 remainder 1

Step 3 4 ÷ 2 = 2 remainder 0

2 ÷ 2 = 1 remainder 0

1 ÷ 2 = 0 remainder 1
We have got 0
as the quotient
so we stop here
Step 4 1 0 0 1 1
Therefore, we find that:
19 = 10011
Decimal Binary
 Binary 2
Decimal to Binary Conversion Activity Use the example on the previous page
to help and check each step of your
Convert the following decimal numbers to binary: workings!

Example 1. 2.
Decimal: 17 Decimal: 24 Decimal: 25

17 ÷ 2 = 8 remainder 1
___________________ ___________________ ___________________
8 ÷ 2 = 4 remainder 0
___________________ ___________________ ___________________
4 ÷ 2 = 2 remainder 0
___________________ ___________________ ___________________
2 ÷ 2 = 1 remainder 0
___________________ ___________________ ___________________
1 ÷ 2 = 0 remainder 1
___________________ ___________________ ___________________
___________________ ___________________ ___________________
10001
Binary: ____________ Binary: ____________ Binary: ____________
3. 4. 5.
Decimal: 42 Decimal: 47 Decimal: 50

___________________ ___________________ ___________________

___________________ ___________________ ___________________
___________________ ___________________ ___________________
___________________ ___________________ ___________________
___________________ ___________________ ___________________
___________________ ___________________ ___________________
Binary: ____________ Binary: ____________ Binary: ____________

Hint:
If the decimal is an odd number, the right-most binary digit will be a 1.
If the decimal is an even number, the right-most binary digit will be a 0.

Extension questions: (these might take slightly longer but they follow the same method!)

6. Decimal: 234 7. Decimal: 301

___________________ ___________________

___________________ ___________________

___________________ ___________________
___________________
___________________
___________________
___________________
___________________
___________________
___________________
___________________
___________________
___________________
___________________
Binary: ____________
Binary: ____________
 Binary 2
Solutions
Activity 1: Quotients and Remainders

1) 39 ÷ 4 = 9 remainder 3

2) 44 ÷ 5 = 8 remainder 4

3) 17 ÷ 3 = 5 remainder 2

4) 30 ÷ 3 = 10 remainder 0

Activity 2: Decimal to Binary Conversion

1) 24 ÷ 2 = 12 remainder 0 2) 25 ÷ 2 = 12 remainder 1
12 ÷ 2 = 6 remainder 0 12 ÷ 2 = 6 remainder 0
6 ÷ 2 = 3 remainder 0 6 ÷ 2 = 3 remainder 0
3 ÷ 2 = 1 remainder 1 3 ÷ 2 = 1 remainder 1
1 ÷ 2 = 0 remainder 1 1 ÷ 2 = 0 remainder 1
Binary number: 1 1 0 0 0 Binary number: 1 1 0 0 1

3) 42 ÷ 2 = 21 remainder 0 4) 47 ÷ 2 = 23 remainder 1 5) 50 ÷ 2 = 25 remainder 0

21 ÷ 2 = 10 remainder 1 23 ÷ 2 = 11 remainder 1 25 ÷ 2 = 12 remainder 1
10 ÷ 2 = 5 remainder 0 11 ÷ 2 = 5 remainder 1 12 ÷ 2 = 6 remainder 0
5 ÷ 2 = 2 remainder 1 5 ÷ 2 = 2 remainder 1 6 ÷ 2 = 3 remainder 0
2 ÷ 2 = 1 remainder 0 2 ÷ 2 = 1 remainder 0 3 ÷ 2 = 1 remainder 1
1 ÷ 2 = 0 remainder 1 1 ÷ 2 = 0 remainder 1 1 ÷ 2 = 0 remainder 1
Binary number: 1 0 1 0 1 0 Binary number: 1 0 1 1 1 1 Binary number: 1 1 0 0 1 0

6) 234 ÷ 2 = 117 remainder 0 7) 301 ÷ 2 = 150 remainder 1

117 ÷ 2 = 58 remainder 1 150 ÷ 2 = 75 remainder 0
58 ÷ 2 = 29 remainder 0 75 ÷ 2 = 37 remainder 1
29 ÷ 2 = 14 remainder 1 37 ÷ 2 = 18 remainder 1
14 ÷ 2 = 7 remainder 0 18 ÷ 2 = 9 remainder 0
7 ÷ 2 = 3 remainder 1 9 ÷ 2 = 4 remainder 1
3 ÷ 2 = 1 remainder 1 4 ÷ 2 = 2 remainder 0
1 ÷ 2 = 0 remainder 1 2 ÷ 2 = 1 remainder 0
Binary number: 1 1 1 0 1 0 1 0 1 ÷ 2 = 0 remainder 1
Binary number: 1 0 0 1 0 1 1 0 1