Number Base Converter
Binary ↔ Decimal ↔ Hex ↔ Octal — with bit-level breakdown
Decimal (Base 10)
192
Hexadecimal (Base 16)
0xC0
Binary (Base 2)
11000000
Octal (Base 8)
0o300
Binary breakdown — grouped by nibble (4 bits)
Each group of 4 binary digits (nibble) = 1 hex digit (0–F)
Quick reference: 0–15
| Dec | Hex | Binary | Oct |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0 | 0 | 0000 | 0 |
| 1 | 1 | 0001 | 1 |
| 2 | 2 | 0010 | 2 |
| 3 | 3 | 0011 | 3 |
| 4 | 4 | 0100 | 4 |
| 5 | 5 | 0101 | 5 |
| 6 | 6 | 0110 | 6 |
| 7 | 7 | 0111 | 7 |
| 8 | 8 | 1000 | 10 |
| 9 | 9 | 1001 | 11 |
| 10 | A | 1010 | 12 |
| 11 | B | 1011 | 13 |
| 12 | C | 1100 | 14 |
| 13 | D | 1101 | 15 |
| 14 | E | 1110 | 16 |
| 15 | F | 1111 | 17 |
Frequently asked questions
Why is hexadecimal used in networking and security?
Hexadecimal (base 16) is compact — each hex digit represents exactly 4 binary bits (a nibble). A byte (8 bits) maps to exactly 2 hex digits. This makes hex ideal for MAC addresses (e.g., AA:BB:CC:DD:EE:FF), IPv6 addresses, cryptographic hashes, and memory addresses.
How do you convert binary to decimal?
Each binary digit represents a power of 2 (right to left: 2⁰=1, 2¹=2, 2²=4, 2³=8, ...). Multiply each bit by its positional value and add the results. For 11000000: (1×128) + (1×64) = 192.
Where does the A+ exam test number bases?
The A+ exam tests binary-to-decimal conversion for understanding IP addresses and subnet masks. It also tests hexadecimal for understanding MAC addresses, RAM addressing, and error codes in Windows Event Viewer.
What is a nibble?
A nibble is 4 bits — half a byte. One nibble maps exactly to one hexadecimal digit (0–F). A byte (8 bits) is two nibbles, represented as two hex digits (e.g., 11001010 in binary = CA in hex).