Log Base 2 Calculator (Binary Logarithm)

• 256 is an exact power of 2. That means log₂(256) is a whole number: 8.
• To store or index 256 distinct values in binary you need at least 8 bits (because 2^8 = 256).
• The binary logarithm is the inverse of exponentiation base 2: if log₂(x) = y, then 2^y = x. This is why log₂(256) = 8, since 2^8 = 256.

Next stepIn computer science, log₂ appears everywhere: hash table sizing, binary search depth, Huffman coding, and Shannon entropy all rely on it. If you need log in another base, use the change-of-base rule: log₂(x) = log(x) / log(2).