Binary Mystery Pictures Freebie

Binary Mystery Pictures

This is an extension activity used after the students have had several lessons on place value for base 2. They

should have also had practice converting base 10 numbers using 0 and 1 to write numbers in base 2 (binary). The

picture activity takes conversion one step further, having the student filling in each box as a 0 or 1, with a 1 represented by a shaded box. Converting the given numbers from base 10 to base 2 will reveal a pixelated image, as a computer would draw it on the screen.

The grid is divided into 2 main sections (A and B), each with 8 smaller columns across. Notice the two columns of

numbers along the grid to the left. The column of numbers on the left correspond to section A and the numbers

on the right correspond to section B.

Directions:

1. For each row, convert each base 10 number to base 2. Show your answer by shading in the appropriate

boxes in the corresponding column. A shaded box represents that place value as a “1.”

Example: In the grid below, the first row lists 0 and 0, so therefore, no boxes are shaded. In the second

row in section A, 0 is listed so again no boxes in that section's row are shaded. In the second row, section

B, 15 is shown. To represent 15 as an 8-digit binary number, you would shade the first four boxes from

the right to represent “00001111” in the place values filled.

2. Continue converting numbers for each row until the picture is revealed.