Binary is the language computers understand, made up of 0s and 1s. 0 means off or no, while 1 means on or yes. The computer processor checks the state of wires millions of times per second to determine if they are on or off, translating this to 0s and 1s to produce the binary code for commands, text, images and other data. An activity is described to have students write letters and words in binary code by darkening boxes for 0s and leaving blank for 1s, with the binary numbers recorded.

1. Binary

2. What is binary?
• Binary is the language computers understands
• It is made up of 0s and 1s

3. What do 0s and 1s stand for?
• 0 means no power, off, empty, no
• 1 means power, on, full, yes

4. How does this work?
• Every millionth of a second (or faster) the
processor checks to see what state wires are.
• Each wire can be on or off, which translates to
0 and 1.
• So for every command, letter, sound, image,
etc., the computer checks the wires a million
times a second to produce binary code.

5. Activity
• Binary Strips
– You will be learning how to write letters in Binary
– On one side of the paper you will write your initials
and the initials of 3 friends. The initials cannot repeat.
– Using the binary decoder key, you will darken any box
(off) that represents a 0 and leave any box that is a 1.
– Once you darken the appropriate boxes, you will write
the 0s and 1s above or below each binary code.
– After you finish the front side, turn the page over and
code the word “STALLION” and use the same
instructions.