How do I explain binary numbers to a 13 year old girl when I barely understand it myself?!?

Answer 1

binary is a couning system in base 2, each digit is 1 or 0 and each is worth double the number before
00000 =0
10000 =1
01000 =2
11000=3
00100=4
10100=5
etc

so the first digit is worth 1, the next is worth 2, the the next is worth 4, 8 then 16,

so 00000 = 0

11111 = 1+2+4+8+16=31

10101 = 1+4+16=21

01010 = 2+8=10

this is using just 5 digits, with 10 it is possible to count to 1024 (great for counting higher than 10 without taking your socks off)

if however she is looking for just a simple explanation, just tell her its geek stuff lol

Answer 2

Buy a set of feeler gauge's from the local car shop. These are like a pen-knife with blades of different thicknesses - used to measure small gaps in car innards.

With these you can demonstrate how the combining of different numbers - or different thickness of gauge - new numbers can be created.

With your daughter now try to to work out the sequence in the number of gauge's needed to measure every number - sorry about that I'll explain;

To measure 1 we need a 1
To measure 2 we need a 2
To measure 3 we can combine 1& 2 so we do not need a number 3
To measure 4 we need a 4
To measure five we can combine 1&4 and so we dont need a 5
To measure 6 we can combine 2& 4 and so we dont need a 6
To measure 7 we can combine 1&2&4 and so we dont need a 7
To measure 8 we need an 8

from this a paternen can be seen for to measure any number
we need a 1, 2, 4, 8, 16, 32 etc

Now for the funny bit: write these number from right to left for
with binary numbers always work from rigth to left.

64 32 16 8 4 2 1

Now to get any number we simply state whether or not we are going to use any individual number the row above - if we are we write 1 and if we are not we will write 0 from right to left remeber.

so to write 1 we can say 0 (no64) - 0 (no 32) - 0 (no16) - 0 (no8) - 0 (no4) - 0 (no2) - 1

or 0000001

to write 37 we can say 0 (no64) -1 (1x32) - 0(no 16) - 0 (no8) - 1 (1 x 4 ) - 1 (1x2) - 1 (1x1)

or 0100111

thus any number can be given using use 0 (no) or 1 (yes)

Answer 3

As with all explaining/teaching,show her why
.
We use the decimal system as we have ten fingers
Actually a numbering system to the base 8 is the most elegant
but that is for another time

In electronic switching,there are two states : on/off : open/closed, this is the reason for the interesr in binary

If you can get three or four people with 1 and 0 cards in each hand,then start counting.She will see the rhythm of binary and you have a basic register
After she sees and feels this, you can get into the math;you will probably benefit as well!
Then you can go into how multiplication is contined addition/whilst division is continued subtraction
Once these basics are understood,the exercises will add the polish

Answer 4

Well, the logical thing is to understand the concepts involved yourself first. When or how do you find out if have mastered it, when you can explai it to her.

Binary numbers are basically counting in two's. We are used to counting in tens but similarly, why not count in nines.

Zero, one, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, ten, and then so on.

Then just go down, count in five's, four's, three's, and then two's. Since you are in binary land, you can use only two symbols, one being zero and one being one. So the numbers are zero, one, ten, eleven, one hundred, one hundred and one, one hundred and ten, one hundred and eleven, and then one thousand and so on.

As for converting back and forth, the matter is simple as well. The algorithms are very simple and of course they can easily be generalized to conversion from any base to another base.

If you want to learn it yourself, then try addition, subtraction, multiplication, and if you dare, division in binary. Just make up some exercises yourself and do them and the way to check your answer would be to convert them to decimal (base ten) and see if your answer is right.

If you don't have a calculator that will do such a thing (so that you can check your answers) or if yuo don't know how to use it, then windows operating system on your computer has the calculator built-in which will do it.

Just go to Start, Programs, Accesories, Calculator. If not already, then go to the view menu and change it from standard to scientific. The calculator will become a lot bigger with a lot of buttons. In the upper left hand corner you will see Hex for Hexadecimal (base 16), Dec for decimal (base 10), Oct for Octadecimal (base 8), and Bin for binary (base 2).

Decimal should be highlighted...for obvious reasons so just click binary and voila, all of the digits except zero and one will be unavailable and you can do all the math you want in binary.

An excellent tool!

This will also let you convert from one base to another as well so that you can check if you are doing the conversion right or not. Just select the input base, put in the number, and then select the base where you want to change it to, and the answer will display.

Trust me, doing addition by hand will make things a lot more clearer to you than anything I can type here. If you need any specific help with anything in binary, feel free to contact me.

Answer 5

I was taught in the same manner as H.T.U. (hundreds, tens and units). Start from the right and write 1, then 2, then 4, doubling as you go above the numbers.

so 1 0 1 0 1 gives 1 + 0 + 4 + 0 + 16 = 21

Answer 6

Use your fingers. Most people can only count to ten on their fingers, I can count to 1023 on mine (2^10-1). A finger up is a 1, a finger down is a zero. Each finger is a binary column (power of 2).

Answer 7

In a normal Base 10 system, you start in the units column, work your way through the ten available digits (0-9) then move over to the tens column, etc. Binary is exactly the same, but you only have two digits to work with (0 & 1). Soooo... start in the units column with zero, then add one. since that's all of the digits we have to work with, we move over to the tens column, move up to one, then start for zero in the units column again...etc. etc.

Answer 8

Get someone to tutor you for a few days then do an equation to your tutor and make sure you do it right then explain it to the 13 year old girl

Answer 9

Don't try and explain something you don't understand. Instead, find her a website or educational game that explains it, and encourage her to have at it.
For starters, there's the game of NIM
http://www.atarimagazines.com/compute/issue89/Nim_Ultimate_Binary_Game.php
and if you put "binary numbers tutorial" into your search window you'll turn up lots of links like this...
http://www.math.grin.edu/~rebelsky/Courses/152/97F/Readings/student-binary.html
She'll do ok. She's around the age I was when my brain went thru an adolescent growth spurt and I started teaching myself all kinds of math.

Answer 10

learn it from your friend or anyone else who understands it & xplain to the girl. if you cant, tell the girl that you yourself cannot understand it or make up some excuse. after all, teaching wrong information to anyone is wrong.