Base 3, also known as ternary, is a numeral system that uses three digits: 0, 1, and 2. Unlike the more common base 10 system, which uses ten digits, base 3 represents numbers using combinations of these three digits. Each position in a base 3 number represents a power of 3, similar to how each position in base 10 represents a power of 10. For example, the base 3 number 210 translates to 2 \times 3^2 + 1 \times 3^1 + 0 \times 3^0, which equals 18 in base 10. Base 3 is often used in computer science and mathematics for various applications, including balanced ternary and ternary logic.