How To Convert A Number Into Binary Python

In this tutorial, we will discuss how to quickly and easily convert a decimal number to its binary representation using Python.

Understanding and working with binary numbers is a fundamental concept in computer science, and this skill can be quite handy in various applications such as data manipulation, encoding, and encryption.

Let’s dive into the process of converting decimal numbers to binary using Python.

Step 1: Create a Function to Convert a Decimal Number to Binary

First, create a Python function named decimal_to_binary() that accepts one argument, a decimal number. This function will use simple bitwise operations and loops to convert the given number to its binary representation.

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def decimal_to_binary(decimal_number):
    binary_number = ""
    while decimal_number > 0:
        remainder = decimal_number % 2
        decimal_number = decimal_number // 2
        binary_number = str(remainder) + binary_number
    return binary_number

This function first initializes an empty string called binary_number. It then iteratively divides the input decimal number by 2, adding the remainder to the left side of the binary_number string.

Step 2: Use the Function to Convert a Decimal Number to Binary

Now that we have our function, we can use it to convert any decimal number to its binary equivalent. Let’s test the function with the decimal number 10.

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decimal_number = 10
binary_number = decimal_to_binary(decimal_number)
print(f"The binary representation of {decimal_number} is {binary_number}")

This will output the following result:

The binary representation of 10 is 1010

The code above calls the decimal_to_binary() function and prints the resulting binary number.

Step 3: Convert a Decimal Number to Binary Using Built-in Python Function

Python provides a built-in function, bin(), which can be used to convert an integer to its binary representation. This function returns a string with a ‘0b’ prefix, representing the binary format.

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decimal_number = 10
binary_number = bin(decimal_number)
print(f"The binary representation of {decimal_number} is {binary_number}")

This will output the following result:

The binary representation of 10 is 0b1010

To remove the ‘0b’ prefix, simply use string slicing.

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binary_number = binary_number[2:]
print(f"The binary representation of {decimal_number} without the prefix is {binary_number}")

The output is:

The binary representation of 10 without the prefix is 1010

Full Code

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def decimal_to_binary(decimal_number):
    binary_number = ""
    while decimal_number > 0:
        remainder = decimal_number % 2
        decimal_number = decimal_number // 2
        binary_number = str(remainder) + binary_number
    return binary_number
 
decimal_number = 10
binary_number = decimal_to_binary(decimal_number)
print(f"The binary representation of {decimal_number} is {binary_number}")
 
binary_number = bin(decimal_number)
print(f"The binary representation of {decimal_number} is {binary_number}")
 
binary_number = binary_number[2:]
print(f"The binary representation of {decimal_number} without the prefix is {binary_number}")

Conclusion

Converting decimal numbers to binary is a fundamental concept in computer science and is essential for working with various applications. In this tutorial, we demonstrated how to create a Python function that converts decimal numbers to binary, as well as using the built-in bin() function.