255
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1
B
8
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255
2
1
B
8
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The Hex to Decimal Converter converts hexadecimal (base-16) numbers to decimal and provides the binary and octal equivalents. Since the compute engine works with numeric inputs, enter hex digits as a decimal number using only digits 0–9 (enter '255' to represent the hex value FF, '100' for the hex value 100 which equals 256 decimal, etc.). For pure hex-to-decimal conversion using letter inputs, note that hex digits A–F have decimal equivalents 10–15.
Hexadecimal values appear throughout computing: RGB color codes (#FF0000 for red), memory addresses (0x7FFF0000), Unicode code points (U+1F600), IPv6 addresses, MAC addresses, SHA hashes, and binary file inspections all use hex notation. Being able to quickly convert hex values to their decimal equivalents helps you understand what these values represent in human-readable terms.
The hexadecimal system is perfectly suited to computing because 16 = 2^4 — each hex digit encodes exactly 4 binary bits. This makes hex a compact, lossless representation of binary data that is far more readable than long binary strings.
Hexadecimal uses positional notation with base 16. Each digit position has a value of $$16^i$$ (counting from right, starting at 0):
$$\text{Decimal} = d_n \times 16^n + d_{n-1} \times 16^{n-1} + \cdots + d_1 \times 16 + d_0$$
Where digits 0–9 have face values 0–9, and A=10, B=11, C=12, D=13, E=14, F=15.
For hex FF (entered as 255 in this calculator since FF uses digit characters):
$$\text{F} \times 16^1 + \text{F} \times 16^0 = 15 \times 16 + 15 \times 1 = 240 + 15 = 255$$
The calculator uses Horner's method on the input string digits, interpreting each digit as its hex face value.
The decimal output gives you the familiar base-10 value of the hex number. For CSS color components: 0x00=0 (none), 0x7F=127 (half), 0xFF=255 (full). For memory addresses, larger decimal values indicate higher memory locations. The binary output reveals the bit pattern, while octal is useful for UNIX file permissions and some legacy systems. Remember: the input field accepts only numeric digits (0–9), treating them as hex digits in order.
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Entering 255 is treated as hex '255' = 2×256 + 5×16 + 5 = 512+80+5 = 597. Note: this calculator interprets digits as hex — '255' means hex 255, not decimal 255. For hex FF, you'd enter it knowing F=15, so the tool here uses purely digit-based hex values.
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Hex 100 = 1×16² + 0×16 + 0 = 256 decimal. This is 2^8 — the value just above a single byte's range.
The hex digit mapping is: A=10, B=11, C=12, D=13, E=14, F=15. Then apply positional weighting by powers of 16. For 1A: 1×16 + 10 = 26. For 2F: 2×16 + 15 = 47. For FF: 15×16 + 15 = 255. For 100: 1×256 + 0×16 + 0 = 256.
'0x' is a prefix used in most programming languages to indicate hexadecimal notation. It distinguishes hex literals from decimal: 0xFF = 255, 0x1A = 26, 0x100 = 256. Some languages use # (CSS colors), $ (assembly), or \x (string escape sequences) instead. The '0x' convention originated in C and is now universal across C, C++, Java, Python, JavaScript, Rust, Go, and most others.
Split the 6-digit hex color into three 2-digit pairs: #RRGGBB. Convert each pair from hex to decimal: #FF5733 → R=FF=255, G=57=87, B=33=51. Each channel ranges 0–255. Online color pickers do this automatically, but knowing the conversion helps when reading raw color values in code or debugging CSS.
A hexdump is a representation of binary file or memory contents as rows of hex bytes, typically 16 bytes per row, alongside the decimal offset and an ASCII character representation of printable bytes. Tools like xxd, hexdump (Unix), or hex editors display data this way. Reading hexdumps is essential for binary file forensics, malware analysis, and network packet inspection.
Cryptographic hash functions (SHA-256, MD5, etc.) produce fixed-length binary outputs that are conventionally displayed in hexadecimal. A SHA-256 hash produces 256 bits = 32 bytes = 64 hex characters. For example: SHA-256('hello') = 2cf24dba5fb0a30e26e83b2ac5b9e29e1b161e5c1fa7425e73043362938b9824. Each pair of hex digits is one byte of the hash.
Each hex digit directly maps to exactly 4 binary bits (a nibble): 0=0000, 1=0001, 2=0010, ..., 9=1001, A=1010, B=1011, C=1100, D=1101, E=1110, F=1111. To convert any hex number to binary, simply replace each hex digit with its 4-bit equivalent. To convert binary to hex, group bits in fours from the right. No arithmetic needed — it's a direct substitution cipher.
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