Frequently Asked Questions
What is a number base (radix)? ▼
A number base (or radix) determines how many unique digits are used to represent numbers. Base 10 uses digits 0–9, binary (base 2) uses only 0 and 1, octal (base 8) uses 0–7, and hexadecimal (base 16) uses 0–9 and A–F.
Why do programmers use hexadecimal? ▼
Hex is a compact representation of binary data. Each hex digit represents exactly 4 bits, so a byte (8 bits) fits in just 2 hex digits. This makes it much easier to read memory addresses, color codes, and other binary data.
How do I convert decimal 255 to binary? ▼
Repeatedly divide 255 by 2 and record remainders from bottom to top: 255 = 11111111 in binary. This is 8 bits all set to 1, which equals FF in hex and 377 in octal.
What is the largest number this converter handles? ▼
This tool uses JavaScript's safe integer range (up to 2^53 − 1, or 9,007,199,254,740,991 in decimal). For most programming and education purposes this is more than sufficient.