Q: How do I read a binary number like 11010?
Read each binary digit from right to left as a power of 2. For 11010: 0×2^0 + 1×2^1 + 0×2^2 + 1×2^3 + 1×2^4 = 0 + 2 + 0 + 8 + 16 = 26 in decimal. Each position represents a doubling value: 1, 2, 4, 8, 16, 32, and so on.
Q: Is there a number size limit?
The tool uses JavaScript's BigInt for large number support, so you can convert very large numbers accurately without precision loss.
Q: Why is hexadecimal used in programming?
Hexadecimal is a compact way to represent binary data — each hex digit maps exactly to 4 binary digits. This makes it ideal for memory addresses, color codes (#FF0000), byte values (0xFF), and debugging binary data.
Q: What are common uses for octal numbers?
Octal is most commonly used for Unix/Linux file permissions (e.g., chmod 755). Each octal digit represents 3 permission bits (read, write, execute), making it a natural fit for the permission system.