Convert a number between decimal, binary, and hexadecimal - useful for programming, networking, and computer science.
Binary/Hex Converter
LiveEdit any field - the other two update automatically.
How this works
Decimal (base 10) <-> Binary (base 2) <-> Hexadecimal (base 16)
Example
255 in decimal = 11111111 in binary = FF in hexadecimal.
Step-by-step guide
- Enter a value in any one of the three fields.
- The other two update automatically.
Common mistakes
Entering a hex value with letters outside A-F - hexadecimal only uses digits 0-9 and letters A through F.
Entering a binary value with digits other than 0 and 1 - binary only ever uses those two digits.
Frequently asked questions
Why do computers use binary?
Binary maps directly onto the two-state (on/off) nature of digital electronic circuits, making it the natural representation at the hardware level.
Why is hexadecimal used alongside binary?
Hex is a compact, human-friendlier way to represent binary data, since each hex digit corresponds to exactly 4 binary digits - common uses include color codes and memory addresses.
Does this support negative numbers?
Yes, using a simple minus-sign prefix - this doesn't represent computer-style two's complement negative binary, which is a separate, more involved convention used internally by processors.
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