Base 8, also known as octal, is a numeral system that uses eight digits: 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, and 7. In this system, each digit's place value is a power of 8, similar to how base 10 (decimal) uses powers of 10. For example, the octal number 17 represents 1×8^1 + 7×8^0, which equals 15 in decimal. Base 8 is often used in computing and digital systems, particularly in programming and data representation. It provides a more compact way to represent binary numbers, as each octal digit corresponds to three binary digits (bits). This makes it easier for programmers to read and write large binary values, especially in contexts like Unix file permissions and computer science.