| I'll try, RRag.
A decimal number has a binary (base 2) representation. In binary, each digit is a 0 or a 1.
1d = 1b
2d = 10b
3d = 11b
4d = 100b
...
16d = 10000
The fifth place (from the right) is the sixteen's place in a binary number. Now, these individual digits are commonly called "bits" which is a term invented by Claude Shannon. Each bit means something different to the climate computer.
Let's say that your P2 version is currently 144. In binary this is 10010000. Note that the sixteen's bit is set. Adding another sixteen, 144 + 16 = 160 which is 10100000. We've turned off the sixteen's bit by adding yet another 16. It was already set with the value 144.
By the way, the most convenient way (for me) to compute the binary representation of a number is using Windows Calculator. Select "View | Scientific" from the menu bar, enter a number in decimal and hit the "Bin" radio button. |