Binary Fingers!

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Math is Fun

Forget about counting to 10 on your fingers ... you can count past 1,000 if you want!

Right Hand

With just your right hand you can count to 31:

hand 0
No fingers up is 0

hand 1
Thumb is 1

hand 2
Index finger is 2

hand 3 2 and 1

makes 3

hand 4
Middle finger is 4

hand 5 Add your thumb

for 5

hand 6 4 and

2 makes 6

hand 7 4 and 2 and 1

makes 7

hand 8
Fourth finger is 8

... and continue the pattern:

  • add your thumb (+1) to make 9,
  • or add your index finger (+2) to make 10
  • or add thumb (+1) and index finger (+2) to make 11
  • etc.

In fact you are counting in Binary:

Number

Made by

hand right: 16,8,4,2,1

1

1

up

2

2

up

3

2+1

up

up

4

4

up

5

4+1

up

up

6

4+2

up

up

7

4+2+1

up

up

up

8

8

up

9

8+1

up

up

10

8+2

up

up

11

8+2+1

up

up

up

12

8+4

up

up

13

8+4+1

up

up

up

14

8+4+2

up

up

up

15

8+4+2+1

up

up

up

up

16

16

up

17

16+1

up

up

etc....

Here are some more examples:

hand 26

16+8+2
makes 26

hand 30

16+8+4+2
makes 30

Why?

So you can count to bigger numbers when you don't have a pencil or paper.

You can also "remember" numbers by holding your fingers in the right way.

Or you can show someone a secret number using just your hand (or hands, see later).

Your Turn

Practice counting from 0 to 31 on your fingers, just like above.

Do it many times until it becomes easy.

When you can do it well, demonstrate it to your friends!

Left Hand

Want bigger numbers? Your left hand can help:

hand both: 512,256,128,64,32,16,8,4,2,1

Now we can use all 10 fingers to make numbers like these:

hand 34

32+2
makes 34

hand 60

32+16+8+4
makes 60

hand 803

512+256+32+2+1
makes 803

And lastly, what happens when all fingers are up?

hand 1023

512+256+128+64+32+16+8+4+2+1
makes 1,023

So now you can count just past 1,000 using only 10 fingers. Wow.

Practice this over the next few days ... you will gain a new skill and also find binary much easier to understand.

9389, 9390, 9391, 9392, 9393, 9394, 9395, 9396, 9397, 9398

Copyright © 2024 Rod Pierce

Zusammenfassen
The article explains how to count past 1,000 using only your fingers. By assigning each finger a value in binary, you can count up to 31 on one hand and even higher numbers using both hands. This method allows for easy memorization of numbers and can be used to communicate secret numbers. Practicing counting on your fingers can help improve your skills and understanding of binary numbers. The left hand can be used to count even larger numbers, up to 1,023, by utilizing all 10 fingers. This technique is a fun and practical way to learn about binary numbers and improve mental math skills.