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Binary to Decimal Calculator

Convert binary (base 2) numbers into decimal (base 10), including binary fractions and negatives, with place-value working.

Quick Answer: How Do You Convert Binary to Decimal?

To convert binary to decimal, multiply each binary digit by its matching power of 2 and add the results, starting with 2⁰ on the right. For example, 1010₂ equals 1×8 + 0×4 + 1×2 + 0×1 = 10₁₀. Digits after a binary point use negative powers of 2, so 0.101₂ = 0.5 + 0.125 = 0.625₁₀. This calculator shows every place-value step.

Enter a Binary Number

Digits 0 and 1 only. A binary point, a leading minus, the 0b prefix and spaces between groups are all fine.

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Decimal Result
Decimal (base 10)
10
1010₂ in decimal
Every binary place is a power of two. Reading from the right, the places are 1, 2, 4, 8, 16 and so on. Add the place values wherever there is a 1 and you get the decimal number — that is all binary-to-decimal conversion is.

How to Use the Binary to Decimal Calculator

Type a binary number — a whole value like 11001, a binary fraction like 1010.1, or a negative like -10010 — and press Convert. You may include spaces between groups of bits, a leading 0b prefix, and leading zeros; they do not change the value. The result shows the exact decimal, the expanded place-value working, and the totals. Use Copy result to reuse it. Negative values use a leading minus sign for readability; this is not the same as a fixed-width two's-complement pattern.

The Binary to Decimal Formula

Whole part: bₙ×2ⁿ + … + b₁×2¹ + b₀×2⁰
Fraction part: b₋₁×2⁻¹ + b₋₂×2⁻² + b₋₃×2⁻³ + …

Each b is a binary digit (0 or 1) and each exponent is the position of that digit. Positions left of the point count up from 0; positions right of the point count down using negative powers, which are the fractions 0.5, 0.25, 0.125 and so on. Multiply, then add.

Binary Place-Value Cheat Sheet

Whole-number places

2⁰=1 · 2¹=2 · 2²=4 · 2³=8 · 2⁴=16 · 2⁵=32 · 2⁶=64 · 2⁷=128 · 2⁸=256 · 2⁹=512 · 2¹⁰=1024

Fraction places

2⁻¹=0.5 · 2⁻²=0.25 · 2⁻³=0.125 · 2⁻⁴=0.0625 · 2⁻⁵=0.03125 · 2⁻⁶=0.015625

How Binary Place Values Work

Binary is a positional number system, just like decimal, but each position is worth a power of 2 instead of a power of 10. In the number 1010, the leftmost 1 sits in the 8s place, the 0 in the 4s place, the next 1 in the 2s place, and the last 0 in the 1s place. Only the 8 and the 2 are switched on, so the value is 8 + 2 = 10.

Step-by-Step Whole-Number Conversion

Write the place values under each digit from right to left (1, 2, 4, 8, …). Multiply each digit by its place value, then add the products. For 11001: 16 + 8 + 0 + 0 + 1 = 25.

Step-by-Step Binary Fraction Conversion

For digits after the point, use 0.5, 0.25, 0.125, 0.0625 and so on. For 0.101: the first digit is 1 (0.5), the second is 0, the third is 1 (0.125), giving 0.5 + 0.125 = 0.625. Because these place values have denominators that are powers of two, every finite binary fraction converts to a terminating decimal.

Worked Examples

1. 1010 to decimal

1×8 + 0×4 + 1×2 + 0×1
8 + 0 + 2 + 0 = 10

2. 11001 to decimal

1×16 + 1×8 + 0×4 + 0×2 + 1×1
16 + 8 + 0 + 0 + 1 = 25

3. 11111111 to decimal

128 + 64 + 32 + 16 + 8 + 4 + 2 + 1
= 255 (the largest unsigned 8-bit value)

4. 1010.1 to decimal

Whole: 8 + 2 = 10 · Fraction: 1×2⁻¹ = 0.5
10 + 0.5 = 10.5

5. 0.101 to decimal

1×0.5 + 0×0.25 + 1×0.125
0.5 + 0.125 = 0.625

6. -10010 to decimal

10010 = 16 + 2 = 18, then apply the minus sign
-18

Binary to Decimal Conversion Table

BinaryDecimal
00
11
102
113
1004
1015
10008
101010
111115
1000016
1111131
10000032
11111163
100000064
1100100100
1111111127
10000000128
11111111255
100000000256
1000000000512
100000000001024

Binary Fraction Conversion Table

BinaryDecimal
0.10.5
0.010.25
0.110.75
0.0010.125
0.1010.625
0.1110.875
1.11.5
10.012.25
1010.110.5

Binary vs Decimal

FeatureBinary (base 2)Decimal (base 10)
Digits used0 and 10–9
Place values1, 2, 4, 8, 16…1, 10, 100, 1000…
Point nameBinary pointDecimal point
Example101010

Bits, Nibbles and Bytes

A single binary digit is a bit. Four bits form a nibble, and eight bits form a byte. One byte holds 256 different patterns, from 00000000 (0) to 11111111 (255), which is why an 8-bit value tops out at 255. Larger values simply use more bits.

Real-Life Uses

Reading binary as decimal comes up across computing: in programming and debugging, networking with IP addresses and subnet masks, digital logic and electronics, embedded systems and microcontrollers, computer memory and data representation, and in computer-science classes and coding interviews. It is the everyday bridge between how machines store numbers and how people read them.

Common Mistakes

Watch out for these:
  • Starting the powers of two from the left instead of from the right (2⁰ is the rightmost digit).
  • Using decimal place values (10, 100) instead of binary ones (2, 4, 8).
  • Allowing digits other than 0 and 1.
  • Ignoring the fractional part after a binary point.
  • Treating the binary point like a decimal point without converting the places.
  • Dropping the minus sign, or confusing signed notation with two's complement.
  • Thinking leading zeros change the value — they do not.
Did you know? Because each binary fraction place is a power of two, and every power of two divides a power of ten, a finite binary fraction always converts to a decimal that ends. The reverse is not true — many decimal fractions, like 0.1, repeat forever in binary.
Pro tip. Memorise the powers of two up to 128. Then converting a byte is fast: 11001000 lights up 128, 64 and 8, so it is 128 + 64 + 8 = 200.
Pro tip. Leading zeros never change the value, so 00001010 and 1010 are both 10. Zeros only matter as placeholders between other digits.

Practice Questions

Beginner (with answers)

  1. Convert 110 to decimal.
  2. Convert 1001 to decimal.
  3. Convert 1100 to decimal.
  4. Convert 10101 to decimal.
  5. Convert 100000 to decimal.
Show answers

1) 6   2) 9   3) 12   4) 21   5) 32

Advanced (with answers)

  1. Convert 11001000 to decimal.
  2. Convert 1010.1 to decimal.
  3. Convert 0.111 to decimal.
  4. Convert 10.01 to decimal.
  5. Convert -101010 to decimal.
Show answers

1) 200   2) 10.5   3) 0.875   4) 2.25   5) -42

🔑 Key Takeaways

  • Multiply each binary digit by its power of two, then add
  • Powers start at 2⁰ on the right and increase to the left
  • Digits after the point use 0.5, 0.25, 0.125 and so on
  • A finite binary fraction always becomes a decimal that ends
  • Leading zeros do not change the value; a minus sign flips it negative

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you convert binary to decimal?

Multiply each binary digit by its matching power of 2 — starting at 2⁰ on the right — and add the results. For example, 1010 is 1×8 + 0×4 + 1×2 + 0×1 = 10.

What is 1010 in decimal?

1010 in binary is 10 in decimal, because it is 8 + 2.

What is 11001 in decimal?

11001 in binary is 25 in decimal, made of 16 + 8 + 1.

What is 11111111 in decimal?

11111111 in binary is 255 in decimal. It is the largest unsigned value that fits in one byte of 8 bits.

What is 10000000 in decimal?

10000000 in binary is 128 in decimal, because the single 1 sits in the 2⁷ (128) place.

How do binary place values work?

Each position is a power of two. From the right they are 1, 2, 4, 8, 16 and so on. You add the place values wherever there is a 1.

How do you convert a binary fraction to decimal?

Digits after the binary point use negative powers of two: 0.5, 0.25, 0.125, 0.0625. Multiply each digit by its place value and add. So 0.101 is 0.5 + 0.125 = 0.625.

What is 0.101 in decimal?

0.101 in binary is 0.625 in decimal, because it is 0.5 + 0.125.

What is 1010.1 in decimal?

1010.1 in binary is 10.5 in decimal: the whole part 1010 is 10, and the .1 adds 0.5.

Can binary numbers contain a point?

Yes. A binary point works like a decimal point, separating whole values from fractional ones. The digits after it use negative powers of two.

Do leading zeros change a binary number?

No. Leading zeros do not change the value, so 00001010 and 1010 are both 10. Zeros only matter as placeholders between other digits.

How do you convert negative binary to decimal?

Convert the digits after the minus sign as usual, then make the result negative. For example, -10010 is -(16 + 2) = -18.

What is the difference between signed binary and two's complement?

Signed-magnitude notation just puts a minus sign in front of the value, which is easy to read. Two's complement is a fixed-width method computers use to store negatives so that addition works cleanly. This calculator uses the readable minus-sign form.

What are bits, nibbles and bytes?

A bit is one binary digit. Four bits make a nibble, and eight bits make a byte, which can store 256 different values from 0 to 255.

Is this Binary to Decimal Calculator free?

Yes. It is free with no sign-up, works on any device, and runs in your browser so your entries stay private.

References

Last updated: July 2026
Reviewed by the MegaCalcOnline Editorial Team using standard positional-notation methods and trusted educational references. Conversions use exact integer and rational arithmetic, so results are not affected by floating-point rounding. This page is for educational purposes.