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Hexadecimal number conversions

Lesson details

Learning outcome

I can convert decimal numbers to and from hexadecimal numbers.

Key learning points

  1. Hexadecimal is a base-16 number system.
  2. Binary numbers can be converted to and from hexadecimal.
  3. Decimal numbers can be converted to and from hexadecimal.

Keywords

  • Hexadecimal - a base-16 number system that uses the digits 0 to 9 and the letters A, B, C, D, E and F

  • Decimal - a base-10 number system that uses the digits 0 to 9

  • Binary - a number system that uses the digits 0 and 1 to represent data

Common misconception

You have to convert an 8 bit binary number in one go.

As a hexadecimal digit can be represented by 4 binary digits, it is useful to convert binary numbers in nibbles (4-bits at a time). This way each digit can be converted separately and then recombined for the final value.

Teacher tip

Encourage pupils to use the place value and conversion tables as modelled in the lesson. Consistently using tables will help pupils to organise the values correctly.

Licence

This content is © Oak National Academy Limited (2025), licensed on Open Government Licence version 3.0
except where otherwise stated. See Oak's terms & conditions
(Collection 2).

Lesson video

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Prior knowledge starter quiz

6 Questions

Q1.
Match the base value to the correct number system.

Correct Answer:base-10,decimal

decimal

Correct Answer:base-2,binary

binary

Correct Answer:base-16,hexadecimal

hexadecimal

Q2.
Which of the following is not a hexadecimal digit?

1
0
A
F
Correct answer: H

Q3.
numbers are often used to represent colour codes.

Correct Answer: hexadecimal , hex

Q4.
What letter represents the decimal value 14 in hexadecimal?

D
Correct answer: E
F

Q5.
The hexadecimal value C is equivalent to the binary value .

1000
0110
Correct answer: 1100
0011

Q6.
Which of these statements is false?

Web developers use hexadecimal values to represent colours, like #FF6600.
Correct answer: Hexadecimal is faster for the computer.
Hexadecimal is easier for humans to read and write compared to binary.
Hexadecimal shortens binary numbers for easier reading.

6 Questions

Q1.
What is the hexadecimal number F5 in decimal?

Correct answer: 245
255
244
254

Q2.
What is the hexadecimal number 6C in decimal?

Correct Answer: 108

Q3.
Match the decimal number to its hexadecimal equivalent.

Correct Answer:156,9C

9C

Correct Answer:100,64

64

Correct Answer:200,C8

C8

Q4.
The binary number 10011001 is in hexadecimal.

Correct Answer: 99

Q5.
The hexadecimal value F1 is equal to which binary value?

11111111
11111001
Correct answer: 11110001
10011001

Q6.
The hexadecimal value BD is equal to the binary value .

Correct Answer: 10111101

To help you plan your 10 computer science lesson on: Hexadecimal number conversions, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...