Hexadecimal Conversion Chart
A compact reference chart of hex place values, single-digit conversions, and the powers of 16 — the core facts behind every hex conversion.
The Core Idea Behind Hex Conversion
Every conversion between hex and decimal comes down to two facts: each hex digit is worth a power of 16 based on its position, and the letters A-F extend the available single-digit values from 10 up to 15. This chart lays out both.
Single Hex Digit Values
| Hex digit | Decimal value |
|---|---|
| 0-9 | 0-9 (same as decimal) |
| A | 10 |
| B | 11 |
| C | 12 |
| D | 13 |
| E | 14 |
| F | 15 |
Hex Place Values (Powers of 16)
| Position (from right) | Power | Decimal value |
|---|---|---|
| 1st | 16⁰ | 1 |
| 2nd | 16¹ | 16 |
| 3rd | 16² | 256 |
| 4th | 16³ | 4,096 |
| 5th | 16⁴ | 65,536 |
| 6th | 16⁵ | 1,048,576 |
| 7th | 16⁶ | 16,777,216 |
| 8th | 16⁷ | 268,435,456 |
Where This Chart Actually Comes Up
Converting a Hex Value by Hand
Working through a hex-to-decimal conversion manually by multiplying each digit by its place value and summing the results, using this chart as the reference.
2F = (2 × 16) + (F × 1) = 32 + 15 = 47
Understanding Why Hex Numbers Grow the Way They Do
Seeing the place values laid out explains why a hex number needs fewer digits than the equivalent decimal number to represent the same magnitude.
4 hex digits cover up to 65,535 — 5 decimal digits needed for the same range
Teaching or Learning Positional Number Systems
Using the chart to illustrate how hex's base-16 place values parallel decimal's base-10 place values, as a teaching aid for positional numeral systems generally.
compare 16⁰,16¹,16² to 10⁰,10¹,10²
Further reading: Hexadecimal — Wikipedia
Limitations
- This is a conceptual reference, not an exhaustive value lookup — see the Hexadecimal Table for a full row-by-row list of every byte value.
Frequently Asked Questions
How is this different from the Hexadecimal Table?
The Hexadecimal Table lists every byte value 0-255 as a lookup; this chart instead shows the underlying place-value structure and single-digit mappings that explain how hex conversion actually works.
What is a hex place value?
Each position in a hex number is worth a power of 16, the same way each position in a decimal number is worth a power of 10 — the rightmost digit is worth 16⁰ (1), the next is worth 16¹ (16), then 16² (256), and so on.
How do I convert a multi-digit hex number using this chart?
Multiply each digit by its place value from the chart, then add the results — 2F = (2 × 16¹) + (F × 16⁰) = 32 + 15 = 47.
What are the single hex digit values A-F?
A=10, B=11, C=12, D=13, E=14, F=15 — the six letters that extend decimal's 0-9 digits to cover all 16 possible values in a single hex position.