Hexadecimal Numbers: Conversion to Decimal and Binary

Hexadecimal (base-16) is a number system that simplifies the representation of binary data in computing, networking, and low-level programming. By grouping binary digits into 4-bit segments (nibbles), hexadecimal provides a compact and human-readable alternative to long binary strings. This guide covers hexadecimal basics, conversion methods, practical applications, and common pitfalls.

Key Points

Hexadecimal (base-16) uses digits 0–9 and letters A–F to represent values 0–15.
One hex digit = 4 bits (nibble), making it ideal for compact binary representation.
Conversion rules:
- Hex → Decimal: Replace letters (A–F) with their decimal equivalents (10–15).
- Hex → Binary: Replace each hex digit with its 4-bit binary equivalent (zero-padded).
Practical uses: MAC addresses, memory addresses, and low-level networking (OSI Layer 2).
Common pitfalls: Forgetting zero-padding, misinterpreting letters as characters, or exceeding F.

Why Use Hexadecimal?

Hexadecimal solves the readability challenges of binary by offering:

Compactness: 1 hex digit = 4 bits (e.g., D6 = 11010110).
Readability: Easier to parse than long binary strings (e.g., 00:1A:2B vs. 00000000 00011010 00101011).
Alignment: Matches byte boundaries (2 hex digits = 1 byte = 8 bits).

Example: A MAC address like 00:1A:2B is far more readable than its binary equivalent (00000000 00011010 00101011).

Hexadecimal Basics

Digits and Values

Hexadecimal extends decimal with letters to represent values 10–15:

Hex	Decimal	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
A	10	1010
B	11	1011
C	12	1100
D	13	1101
E	14	1110
F	15	1111

Key Rule: The maximum hex digit (F) equals 15 in decimal and 1111 in binary.

Conversion Methods

Hexadecimal to Decimal

Replace letters (A–F) with their decimal values (10–15).
For multi-digit hex numbers, use positional notation (e.g., 1A = 1×16 + 10 = 26).

Examples:

A = 10
1F = 1×16 + 15 = 31
FF = 15×16 + 15 = 255

Hexadecimal to Binary

Replace each hex digit with its 4-bit binary equivalent (zero-padded):

Example:

Hex:  3    A    F    2
Bin: 0011 1010 1111 0010

Result: 3AF2₁₆ = 0011101011110010₂.

Why 4 bits? The maximum hex digit (F) requires 4 bits (1111). Zero-padding ensures consistency (e.g., 1 = 0001).

Practical Applications

MAC Addresses

MAC addresses (OSI Layer 2) are 48-bit identifiers written in hexadecimal, separated by colons or hyphens:

00:1A:2B:3C:4D:5E

Each pair = 1 byte (8 bits).
Example: 1A = 00011010₂.

Memory Addresses

Hexadecimal simplifies memory addressing in programming (e.g., 0x7FFF in C/C++).

Color Codes

Hexadecimal represents colors in web design (e.g., #FFFFFF for white).

Common Mistakes

Ignoring zero-padding: Writing 1 as 1 instead of 0001 in binary.
Misinterpreting letters: Treating A as a character, not the value 10.
Exceeding F: Hex digits cannot go beyond F (e.g., G is invalid).
Byte misalignment: Forgetting that 2 hex digits = 1 byte.

Quick Reference

Hex → Binary Cheat Sheet

Hex	Binary
0	0000
1	0001
2	0010
3	0011
4	0100
5	0101
6	0110
7	0111
8	1000
9	1001
A	1010
B	1011
C	1100
D	1101
E	1110
F	1111

Learn More

OSI Model: How hexadecimal fits into Layer 2 (Data Link) networking.
Endianness: Byte order in hexadecimal representations (e.g., 0x1234 vs. 0x3412).
Bitmasking: Using hexadecimal for efficient bitwise operations.
Assembly Language: Hexadecimal in low-level programming.