Binary to Octal Conversion -
Octal to Binary Conversion

Convert binary numbers into octal numbers and vice versa

Binary and Octal

The binary and octal system are two different types of numbering systems that are used in digital technology and computer science. They are both part of the larger category of positional systems, which means that the position of a digit in a number determines its value. Although the decimal system (base 10) is most familiar and most commonly used in daily life, the binary (base 2) and octal (base 8) system are also important, especially in computing.

The binary system

The binary system uses only two digits: 0 and 1. Each digit in a binary number represents a power of two, starting with 2^0 on the right (also known as the least significant bit). For example, the binary number 1011 represents (1 * 2^3) + (0 * 2^2) + (1 * 2^1) + (1 * 2^0) = 8 + 0 + 2 + 1 = 11 in the decimal system.

The octal system

The octal system, on the other hand, uses eight digits: 0 through 7. Each digit in an octal number represents a power of eight, starting with 8^0 on the right. The octal number 17, for example, represents (1 * 8^1) + (7 * 8^0) = 8 + 7 = 15 in the decimal system.

One of the reasons why these systems are useful is that they provide an efficient way to represent and manipulate binary data. In particular, the octal system is handy because each octal digit corresponds exactly to three binary digits (bits). For example, the octal number 7 corresponds to the binary number 111, and the octal number 2 corresponds to the binary number 010. This makes conversions between the two systems fairly simple and straightforward.

It is important to note that, although binary and octal are different "languages" for expressing numbers, they represent the same underlying mathematical realities. A particular number, whether expressed in binary, octal, decimal, or another positional system, has the same value in reality; only the representation of that value changes.