This key facts covers Binary ↔ Hexadecimal: The Easy Shortcut within Binary & Hex for GCSE Computer Science. Revise Binary & Hex in 3.3 Data Representation for GCSE Computer Science with 16 exam-style questions and 22 flashcards. This is a high-frequency topic, so it is worth revising until the explanation feels precise and repeatable. It is section 11 of 15 in this topic. Use this key facts to connect the idea to the wider topic before moving on to questions and flashcards.
Binary ↔ Hexadecimal: The Easy Shortcut
The 4-Bit Rule: 1 hex digit = exactly 4 binary bits
Conversion Table:
Hex Binary Denary | Hex Binary Denary 0 0000 0 | 8 1000 8 1 0001 1 | 9 1001 9 2 0010 2 | A 1010 10 3 0011 3 | B 1011 11 4 0100 4 | C 1100 12 5 0101 5 | D 1101 13 6 0110 6 | E 1110 14 7 0111 7 | F 1111 15
Binary to Hex: Group by 4 bits
Example: Convert 11010110 to hex
Step 1: Group into 4s from right: 1101 0110
Step 2: Convert each group:
1101 = D (13)
0110 = 6
Answer: D6
Hex to Binary: Expand each digit to 4 bits
Example: Convert 3A to binary
Step 1: Convert each hex digit to 4 bits:
3 = 0011
A = 1010
Step 2: Combine: 00111010
Practice questions for Binary & Hex
Which of the following correctly describes the hexadecimal number system?
Explain why hexadecimal is used instead of binary when programmers write memory addresses and colour codes. Give three reasons.