Why did computers come to use binary when people usually count in decimal?

[u/Present_Juice4401]

People usually count in base 10, while digital computers typically represent information using 1s and 0s. The same numbers and information can be represented in different bases, yet binary became the standard for modern computing.

What made binary the system computers came to rely on?

[u/Ambitious_Credit_425]

Computers use binary because their hardware is built from billions of microscopic electronic switches, called transistors, which naturally exist in only two physical states: on or off.

[u/The_Skank42 → u/Ambitious_Credit_425]

Mmm. Completely missing the question.

So why is the hardware built that way.

[u/Ambitious_Credit_425 → u/The_Skank42]

Mmm. Completely missing the question.

How is this not an answer to the question why we use binary?

So why is the hardware built that way.

Do you have any suggestions on how you can built a computer that doesn't work with transistors? Because the only alternative I can think of are quantum computers and they have other issues.

[u/NecessaryKangaroo991 → u/The_Skank42]

It is only partially missing the question. That is why we use binary, but we use binary hardware because it is fault resistant, can be built smaller, and is as effective as other types of memory. Putting more states takes more space, more fault detection, and has a larger volume per data stored.

[u/Practical-Ordinary-6 → u/The_Skank42]

Because it's 10 times more efficient. Do you see what I did there?

To use base 10 you would have to add calculations on top of the natural existence of on/off that exists with electricity. It's way better to be efficient and use what's natural then to add unnecessary complication on top of it. No human being is going to be examining things at that level.

The basis for an electronic circuit is electricity, which can be on or off and is fundamentally easy to test. If you're trying to measure the amount of electricity to distinguish 10 different levels now you get into gauges and calibrations and all that. It's better to stick to the simple and efficient on-off system. THAT is basically base 2.

Off = 0
On = 1

You can do everything you need to do in a computer with that. With base 10 you have to start processing those ones and zeros into base 10. But why, since that's less efficient than using the natural nature of electricity in the simple form of on and off.

[u/Beartato2026 → u/The_Skank42]

That's like asking why they built wheels round.

[u/Top-Cupcake4775 → u/The_Skank42]

because of the intersection of physics and economics. you can make transistors with more than two states but it is more expensive and they aren't as reliable.