How to convert numbers to binary in Python

In the world of programming, understanding number systems is fundamental. One such essential system is the binary number system, which consists of only two digits i.e. 0 and 1. In this article, we will explore the process of converting decimal numbers to binary using Python.

Understanding the Binary Number System:

Before we dive into the code, it’s crucial to understand the workings of the binary number system. In the binary system, each digit represents the power of 2. Starting from the rightmost digit, each digit is twice the value of the digit of its right. For instance:

• 1 in the rightmost represents 2^0 which is 1.
• The next digit to the left represents 2^1, which is 2.
• The next 2^2, which is 4.
• And so on.

Convert Decimal to Binary in Python:

Python offers a simple and straightforward way to convert decimal numbers to binary using the built-in bin() function. Here’s how you would use it:

decimal_num = int(input("Please enter a decimal number: "))

# Use the bin() function to convert to binary
bin_rep = bin(decimal_num)
print(bin_rep)

The bin() function takes a decimal number as input and returns a string containing its binary representation with the “0b” prefix. For example, the representation of 9 is “0b1001”.

Handling Binary Conversion Manually

Here’s a Python script to convert a decimal number to binary without using the bin() function:

decimal_number = int(input("Enter a decimal number: "))
binary_representation = ""

while decimal_number > 0:
    remainder = decimal_number % 2
    binary_representation = str(remainder) + binary_representation
    decimal_number //= 2

print(f"The binary representation of {decimal_number} is {binary_representation}")

Conclusion

So this is how you would convert decimal numbers to binary in Python.

In this article, we have discussed two methods to convert decimal to binary:

• Using bin() function
• Manual approach

I hope this article was helpful to you. Thanks for reading, and have a great day!