Definition of Hexadecimal
Hexadecimal, often shortened to 'hex', is a base-16 number system. Unlike the familiar base-10 (decimal) system which uses ten digits (0-9), hexadecimal employs sixteen distinct symbols: 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, A, B, C, D, E, and F.
How Hexadecimal Works
In hexadecimal, the digits 0-9 represent their usual values, while the letters A-F correspond to decimal values 10 through 15, respectively. Each position in a hexadecimal number represents a power of 16. This system is efficient because one hexadecimal digit can represent four binary digits (bits), simplifying the representation of large binary numbers.
Practical Applications in Computing
Hexadecimal is widely used in computer science and digital electronics. Common applications include representing memory addresses, displaying MAC addresses for network interfaces, defining colors in web design (e.g., #FF0000 for red), and expressing binary data in a more compact and readable format for programmers.
Why Use Hexadecimal?
The primary advantage of hexadecimal is its conciseness. It provides a human-friendly way to represent long strings of binary code without sacrificing readability. Since computer memory and data are fundamentally binary, hex acts as a convenient shorthand, bridging the gap between raw binary and more manageable representations for human interaction.