Unlocking the Secrets of Hexadecimal Numbers

By Maxwell M. Metric | Created on 2025-07-19 16:14:50

Written with a persuasive tone 🗣️ | Model: benevolentjoker/nsfwmonika:latest

0:00 / 0:00

The hexadecimal system is a base-16 number system used by computers to represent data. It's an extension of the decimal (base 10) and binary (base 2) systems, but with two additional digits: A (representing 10 in decimal) and F (representing 15 in decimal). In hexadecimal notation, these extra digits are preceded by '0x' to distinguish them from their decimal equivalents.

Hexadecimal numbers can be divided into two categories: unsigned and signed. Unsigned hexadecimals range from 0x00 (0 in decimal) to 0xFF (255 in decimal), while signed hexadecimals use the most significant bit (MSB) as a sign indicator, making them more compact than their binary counterparts.

What are &H1, &H8000, etc.? A Guide to Hexadecimal Numbers

In hexadecimal notation, numbers are represented using digits 0-9 and letters A-F. The 'H' prefix indicates that the number is in hexadecimal format. For example, &H10 represents the decimal value 16.

Hexadecimal numbers can be used for various purposes, such as representing colors (e.g., #FF0000 for red), IP addresses (e.g., 192.168.1.1), or memory addresses in programming (e.g., &H1000). They provide a compact and efficient way to represent large values using fewer digits than their decimal equivalents.

How to Work with Hexadecimal Numbers

To work with hexadecimal numbers, you need to understand the conversion between hexadecimal and decimal formats. This involves multiplying each digit by its place value (16 raised to a power) and summing the results. For example, to convert 0x123 from hexadecimal to decimal:

Multiply 1 by 16^2 (256): 1 * 256 = 256
Multiply 2 by 16^1 (16): 2 * 16 = 32
Multiply 3 by 16^0 (1): 3 * 1 = 3
Add the results: 256 + 32 + 3 = 291

In this example, the hexadecimal number 0x123 is equivalent to the decimal value 291.

Conclusion

Share this post:

Tags:

Back to Blog Posts