What are the steps in putting the number 431 in binary?

Answer 1

Binary columns start at 1 and then double to 2, 4, 8, 16, 32 etc. There is a column for 512 and this is too large to make up the number 431, so you would place a 1 in the next lower column, which is 256. You can also place a 1 in the next lower column again, which is 128, as 256 + 128 are less than 431, in fact they equal 384, which is still 47 short of the number you wish to represent. You would place a 0 in the 64 column as adding 64 to you total would make the number too big. A 1 placed in the 32 column adds 32 to your total, to make 416, leaving you 15 short of your total. A 0 in the 16 because this would exceed your total, leaving you to place a 1 in each of the 8, 4, 2, and 1 columns to reach your total of 431 and a binary number of 110101111