The BIN2DEC function converts binary numbers into decimal numbers.
Contents:
Syntax
= BIN2DEC(number)number - The binary number you wish to convert to a decimal number
Note: binary numbers can be in text or number form, either 1001 or "1001" will work
Explanation
The BIN2DEC function is part of the "Engineering" group of functions within Excel.
This function takes in binary numbers and converts them into regular decimal numbers.
The binary number can be up to 10 characters, or bits, in length. If the length exceeds this, a #NUM error will be returned.
This means the largest number than can be represented is "111111111" or 511.
Converting to decimal form is particularly useful in computing and electronics, where binary data conversion to a human-readable decimal format may be required, such as interpreting binary error codes, addresses, or other binary-encoded data.
What is a Decimal Number
Let's take a look at the number "102" and see how it works as a decimal and binary number.
A decimal number is a number expressed in the base-10 numeral system, also known as the decimal system, the most commonly used system worldwide.
Each digit is based on its position, or place value, which increases by a power of 10 as you move from right to left.
In this example, the number 102 is calculated by multiplying the ones place, "2", by 1, then the tens place by "0", and finally the hundreds place by "1", and adding the results together,
What is a Binary Number
A binary number is a number expressed in the base-2 numeral system, which uses only two symbols, 0 and 1.
Each digit in a binary number is a bit, and the value of each bit is based on its position, with each position representing a power of 2, increasing as you move from right to left.
In this example, instead of the base increasing by 10x as we go up, the base is increased by 2x each step.
Each 0 and 1 value in the binary number is multiplied by the base, and the sum of all of the multiplied values is the corresponding decimal number.
Examples
How to Convert Binary Number to Decimal
Let's say we have table of binary numbers, and need to convert them into regular decimal numbers.
The formula to convert from binary to decimal would be:
= BIN2DEC(binary_number)If we plug this formula into the table, the formula returns the correct decimal number.
Using the BIN2DEC function in the right column lets us easily convert multiple binary numbers at once.
