: Why are computers limited to 0s and 1s? Why can’t we use numbers like 2s and 3s for more Efficiency?
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Computers are digital. Instead of thinking of it as 0’s and 1’s. Think of it as ON or OFF. You have two states. This two state system makes it very accurate and prevents errors which is important when doing calculations.
If instead it was done with say voltage. We have 0-10V and 1V =1, 2V = 2, 3V = 3 etc. What happens when the Voltage is 2.5? If the calculation needed it to be a 2 and the computer took it to be a 3 you get the wrong answer.
You’ve gone from a digital system to an analogue one.
Analogue does not work well for calculations. It does work in other places, for example colour. If 2 is red and 3 is orange. 2.5 will give a colour in between, which is likely fine.
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