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Base & Numeral Systems • Lesson 28 ⏱ 7 min read 📅 Updated Nov 2026

Number Systems Guide: How to Convert Between Binary, Hexadecimal, and Decimal

Understand Base-2 (Binary), Base-10 (Decimal), and Base-16 (Hexadecimal), positional place values, and how computers represent all data.

Computer Science Core

Humans use Decimal (Base-10) because we have 10 fingers. Computers use Binary (Base-2) because tiny transistors have only two states: ON (1) or OFF (0).

1 128 0 64 1 32 0 16 1 8 0 4 1 2 0 1 10101010₂ = 128 + 32 + 8 + 2 = 170 in Decimal
1 Byte = 8 Bits: Add Up the Values of the “1” (ON) Switches

The 4 Positional Number Systems

SystemBase (Radix)Available DigitsDecimal 255 Representation
BinaryBase-20, 11111 1111
OctalBase-80 to 7377
DecimalBase-100 to 9255
HexadecimalBase-160-9 and A, B, C, D, E, FFF
Try It Yourself

Practice with Our Interactive Binary & Hex Converter

Check your calculations or explore full step-by-step solutions instantly.

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Solved Step-by-Step Examples:255 in Binary (11111111)255 in Hex (FF)1010 Binary to Decimal
Your Turn!

Check Your Understanding (3 Quick Questions)

Score: 0 / 3

Question 1: What is the binary number 1010₂ in decimal (Base-10)?

Question 2: In Hexadecimal (Base-16), what decimal number does the letter F represent?

Question 3: What is the maximum value that 1 byte (8 bits) can represent?