Everything You Need To Know About Hexadecimal Numbers

You might not have heard about the hexadecimal numbers but the fact is you have used them in your daily life. Not only used but right now you are reading this article because of the hexadecimal numbers. Here, in this article, we share interesting facts about hexadecimal numbers. But before that, let’s discuss what is a hex number?

What is a hexadecimal number?

A hexadecimal number is a 16-bit number which is an advanced representation of binary numbers. All the advanced computer systems use hexadecimal numbers while the traditional numbering system uses binary or decimal numbers. The hex number includes 0 to 9 numbers and A to F letters. These letters make it the 16-bit numbers.

Advantages and disadvantages of a hex number

The biggest advantage of a hexadecimal number is nothing but it is a 16-bit number and it is an advanced representation of a binary number. This simply means that it can easily replace the binary number. Along with that, a hexadecimal number can describe a number in the shorter format because it is a 16-bit number while decimal is a base-10 number and octal is a base-8 number. This means if a developer wants to represent a number in the least digits then considering a hexadecimal number can be the right choice.

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Being the base-16 number is the biggest disadvantage of a hex number. Since it is the base-16 number, it occupies a huge amount of space on the memory. For that reason, most developers do not prefer to use a hexadecimal number for small projects. Instead of that, developers use a decimal number or small projects.

Applications of hexadecimal numbers

MAC addresses are the biggest advantage of the implementation of hexadecimal numbers. A MAC address is nothing but the unique identifier assigned to the electronic systems. Just like the unique username on Twitter or Instagram. MAC addresses are used by electronic systems and software engineers to develop a bond between users and servers. For example, a user inserts a value in the decimal number, the server converts it into a hexadecimal number and operates. Once the operation is performed, it converts the hexadecimal to decimal and shows it to the users.

As discussed above, a hexadecimal number has an advantage for storing more amount of data for an online product. If you are also a developer and want to make a career in the field of development, then learning hexadecimal to decimal conversion techniques can do wonders.

hexadecimal numbers

Another great use of a hexadecimal number is in the databases. Yes, many large databases use the hexadecimal to decimal conversion concepts to save data on the databases. This hex to decimal conversion helps in storing more amount of data and on top of that, it helps in retrieving data from the database quickly. With the help of a hexadecimal to decimal conversion tool, you can easily save the data effectively in the least amount of time.

So, these are the top advantages of a hexadecimal number. If you are willing to implement this numbering system on your project, then do let us know by dropping a comment. We might help you to get started with it.

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Salman Zafar
Salman Zafar is a serial entrepreneur, digital marketer, writer and publisher. He is the Founder of Techie Loops