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DEC2BIN

The DEC2BIN formula is used to convert a decimal number to a binary number. This is commonly used in engineering and computer science to represent numbers in their binary form. The formula takes in a decimal number and an optional number of significant digits to include in the binary representation.

Usage

Use the DEC2BIN formula with the syntax shown below, it has 1 required parameter and 1 optional parameter:

=DEC2BIN(decimal_number, [significant_digits])
Parameters:
  1. decimal_number (required):
    The decimal number to convert to binary. Must be a positive integer.
  2. significant_digits (optional):
    Optional. The number of significant digits to include in the binary representation. Must be a positive integer.

Examples

Here are a few example use cases that explain how to use the DEC2BIN formula in Google Sheets.

Convert decimal IP addresses to binary

In network engineering, IP addresses are commonly represented in binary form. The DEC2BIN formula can be used to quickly convert decimal IP addresses to binary.

Convert decimal RGB values to binary

In computer graphics, RGB values are commonly represented in binary form. The DEC2BIN formula can be used to quickly convert decimal RGB values to binary.

Check parity of binary numbers

In computer science, it is common to check the parity of binary numbers. The DEC2BIN formula can be used to convert decimal numbers to binary, which can then be used to check parity.

Common Mistakes

DEC2BIN not working? Here are some common mistakes people make when using the DEC2BIN Google Sheets Formula:

Wrong number of arguments

The DEC2BIN formula requires at least one argument, the decimal number to be converted to binary. If the optional argument 'significant_digits' is used, it must be the second argument.

Incorrect argument type

The 'decimal_number' argument must be a number. If a non-numeric value is used, the formula will return an error.

Invalid significant digits

The 'significant_digits' argument, if used, must be a positive integer. If a decimal or non-numeric value is used, the formula will return an error.

Out of range decimal number

If the 'decimal_number' argument is greater than 511 or less than -512, the formula will return an error.

Incorrect binary output

If the 'significant_digits' argument is used, the formula may return an incorrect binary output if the 'significant_digits' value is too small for the decimal number being converted.

Related Formulas

The following functions are similar to DEC2BIN or are often used with it in a formula:

  • BIN2DEC

    The BIN2DEC formula is an engineering formula used to convert a signed binary number to a decimal number. This formula is commonly used in computer science and engineering fields.

  • HEX2BIN

    The HEX2BIN function is an Engineering function that converts a signed hexadecimal number to a signed binary number. It returns a text string and is commonly used in computer science and engineering fields.

  • DEC2HEX

    The DEC2HEX formula is an engineering formula in Google Sheets that converts a decimal number to its hexadecimal equivalent. It is commonly used to convert numbers to a format that is easier to read and work with in certain applications.

Learn More

You can learn more about the DEC2BIN Google Sheets function on Google Support.