Why an understanding of the binary number system is important to IT professionals?

Answer 1

Computers do most of their calculations in binary, internally.

The binary system consists of 1's and 0's only, which are used in computer technology to signify "on" or"off", the only possible states for each of the millions of transistors operating the machine.

Answer 2

First of all it is not necessary for every IT professional to understand binary number system. Mostly binary number system is required if you are programming in low level. Low level would be operating systems, drivers, network, compression and other tasks that require this.

CPU (Central Processing Unit) is a logic circuit board which is capable to understand only to things True of False. And here comes the binary number system where 0 stands for False and 1 for True. All numbers, letters, every data for CPU is just plain 0 and 1 numbers sequence and by packing we can give them some meaning.

In all days if you pressed "O" key in MS-DOS environment, you would get "O" letter on the screen. What computer sees is that it gets one byte (one byte is ASCII table represents one letter) 4F which is 8 bits 1001111.

There are a lot of operations that are done by bit and the bit is the lowest and simplest atom that CPU understands.

This is very brief information if more information is required, please, contact me.

Answer 3

You should absolutely learn binary. First, because it's really really easy. It's like the math you already know, but with fewer digits. Second, because binary and hexadecimal are an easy way to understand the native "size and shape" of numbers inside computers -- and *that* is important.

Answer 4

the numbers in itself is ofthen not what a IT pro is seeing. we see text and like al other men (that cant read information like those in Matrix) we cant realy read the numbers. we know that is what the prosesor gets and al, but is we had to read in binary or anything close to the stream like that we might go crazy. well some binary is always good to know if you need some information that is spesifik, but usualy even that is not something IT handles.

Answer 5

very important. its actually something fundamental.

all electronic devices work by binary.