Hex Converter — Encode & Decode Hexadecimal
Hexadecimal Reference
Hexadecimal (hex) is a base-16 numbering system that uses 16 distinct symbols: digits 0-9 and letters A-F. Each hexadecimal digit represents exactly 4 bits of binary data, making it a compact way to represent binary values. This is why hex is widely used in computing, programming, and digital systems.
| Decimal | Hexadecimal | Binary |
|---|---|---|
| 0 | 0 | 0000 |
| 1 | 1 | 0001 |
| 2 | 2 | 0010 |
| 3 | 3 | 0011 |
| 4 | 4 | 0100 |
| 5 | 5 | 0101 |
| 6 | 6 | 0110 |
| 7 | 7 | 0111 |
| 8 | 8 | 1000 |
| 9 | 9 | 1001 |
| 10 | A | 1010 |
| 11 | B | 1011 |
| 12 | C | 1100 |
| 13 | D | 1101 |
| 14 | E | 1110 |
| 15 | F | 1111 |
When converting text to hexadecimal, each character is first converted to its ASCII character code (a decimal number), which is then converted to hexadecimal. For example, the letter 'A' has ASCII code 65, which equals 41 in hexadecimal.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is hexadecimal and why is it used in computing?
Hexadecimal (hex) is a base-16 number system using digits 0-9 and letters A-F to represent values. It's widely used in computing because it provides a compact, human-readable way to represent binary data, making it easier for programmers to read and write large binary numbers.
How does hexadecimal relate to binary?
Each hexadecimal digit represents exactly 4 binary bits, making conversion between hex and binary straightforward. For example, hex 'F' equals binary '1111', and hex 'A' equals binary '1010', allowing efficient representation of binary data in a more compact form.
Where do I encounter hexadecimal in everyday life?
You see hexadecimal in color codes (like #FF0000 for red), MAC addresses on network devices, memory addresses in error messages, and HTML/CSS web development. Many QR codes and product serial numbers also use hexadecimal encoding.
What's the difference between hexadecimal and decimal number systems?
Decimal uses base-10 with digits 0-9, while hexadecimal uses base-16 with digits 0-9 and A-F (where A=10, B=11, C=12, D=13, E=14, F=15). Hex allows larger numbers to be represented with fewer digits than decimal.