The Hexadecimal Number System
To write numbers in base 16, we need to expand on the 10 characters (0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
used to represent numbers in base 10. The convention is to add "A" for ten, "B" for eleven, "C"
for twelve, "D" for thirteen, "E" for fourteen, and "F" for fifteen. Here is a table giving
examples of equivalent representations of numbers in the decimal and hexadecimal number
systems.
Decimal Hexadecimal
1 1
10 A
15 F
16 10
100 64
255 FF
256 100
1024 400
4095 FFF
4096 1000
If you need to convert between decimal and hexadecimal numbers, one readily accessible tool is
the calculator made available in the Accessories Group. Choose the Scientific mode from the
View menu item. Enter a decimal number, then click the "Hex" button to see it in hexadecimal
format.
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Maintained by John Mahaffy : jhm@cac.psu.edu