To write the number 2 in binary, you'll follow these steps:
1. **Understand Binary System**: Binary is a base-2 numeral system that uses only two digits: 0 and 1. Each digit represents a power of 2, starting from \(2^0\) on the right.
2. **Break Down the Decimal Number**: Convert the decimal number (base-10) to binary (base-2) by expressing it as a sum of powers of 2.
3. **Find Powers of 2**: List the powers of 2, which are:
- \(2^0 = 1\)
- \(2^1 = 2\)
- \(2^2 = 4\)
- \(2^3 = 8\)
- and so on.
4. **Decompose the Number**:
- For the number 2, find which powers of 2 add up to it.
- The number 2 can be represented as \(2^1\) (which is 2) plus \(2^0\) (which is 0), because 2 = 2^1 + 0 * 2^0.
5. **Create Binary Representation**:
- Start from the highest power of 2 that is less than or equal to 2. In this case, \(2^1\) fits, so place a '1' in the position for \(2^1\).
- For \(2^0\), since it’s not used, place a '0' in that position.
- The positions of binary digits (from right to left) are: \(2^0\), \(2^1\), \(2^2\), and so forth.
6. **Write It Out**:
- For the number 2, you only need the positions for \(2^1\) and \(2^0\).
- Thus, 2 in binary is written as `10`.
Here’s a breakdown:
- The rightmost bit (least significant bit) represents \(2^0\). For 2, this is 0.
- The next bit represents \(2^1\). For 2, this is 1.
So, putting it together: 2 in binary is `10`.