Base 16 (Hexadecimal) Numbering system

• Digits used are the Indian/Arabic numbers 0 thru 9 and the English letters A thru F. A represents 10, B represents 11, C - 12, D - 13, E - 14 and F - 15. Each number occupies a place value. When F is reached, the value goes to 0 and 1 is added to the next place value.

  • 0,1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,A,B,C,D,E,F,10,11,12,13,14,15,16,17,18,19,1A,1B,1C,1D,1E,1F,20,etc

• Each place value to the left is equal to 16 times the place value to the right which implies that each place value to the right is equal to the place value to the left divided by 16.

  • continuing infinitely <- 65536,4096,256,16,1

• Hexadecimal is used to represent binary data. Its use applies primarily to the representation of letters and numbers as they are stored in computers. One hex digit represents 4 binary digits. Thus using hex it is possible to represent groups of binary digits (bits) using the numbers 0 thru 9.and the letters A thru F. Octal also represents binray data, but octal represents 3 binary digits. It uses the numbers 0 thru 7 with no letters needed.

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Last update on 01/26/98

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