Hexadecimal to Binary Converter
Enter a hex number below to convert it to binary.
Binary Number:
Steps to Convert to Binary
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How to Convert Hex to Binary
Hexadecimal (or hex) and binary numbers are foundational to computing systems, networking, and software engineering. Converting from a hexadecimal number to a binary number is very common because base 16 offers a clean way to express four base 2 digits for each base 16 used, making it much easier to read.
Binary numbers, or base 2 numbers, consist of two digits: 0 and 1. Hexadecimal numbers, or base 16 numbers, consist of 16 digits: 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, a, b, c, d, e & f.
To convert hex to binary, convert each digit to the equivalent binary number. Each hex digit is equal to four binary digits or bits, also referred to as a nibble.
Hex Character Nibble Values
This chart shows the binary nibble value for each hexadecimal digit.
| Hexadecimal Digit | Binary Nibble |
|---|---|
| 0 | 0000 |
| 1 | 0001 |
| 2 | 0010 |
| 3 | 0011 |
| 4 | 0100 |
| 5 | 0101 |
| 6 | 0110 |
| 7 | 0111 |
| 8 | 1000 |
| 9 | 1001 |
| a | 1010 |
| b | 1011 |
| c | 1100 |
| d | 1101 |
| e | 1110 |
| f | 1111 |
After converting each hex digit to a nibble, place the nibbles together to get the final number.
For example, let’s convert f3b716 to binary.
f16 = 11112
316 = 00112
b16 = 10112
716 = 01112
Putting it all together the final binary value is:
1111 0011 1011 0111
Removing the spaces we end up with:
11110011101101112
Hex to Binary Conversion Table
The table below shows a list of hexadecimal numbers converted to binary.
| Hexadecimal Number | Binary Number | Decimal Number |
|---|---|---|
| 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1 | 1 | 1 |
| 2 | 10 | 2 |
| 3 | 11 | 3 |
| 4 | 100 | 4 |
| 5 | 101 | 5 |
| 6 | 110 | 6 |
| 7 | 111 | 7 |
| 8 | 1000 | 8 |
| 9 | 1001 | 9 |
| a | 1010 | 10 |
| b | 1011 | 11 |
| c | 1100 | 12 |
| d | 1101 | 13 |
| e | 1110 | 14 |
| f | 1111 | 15 |
| 10 | 10000 | 16 |
| 11 | 10001 | 17 |
| 12 | 10010 | 18 |
| 13 | 10011 | 19 |
| 14 | 10100 | 20 |
| 15 | 10101 | 21 |
| 16 | 10110 | 22 |
| 17 | 10111 | 23 |
| 18 | 11000 | 24 |
| 19 | 11001 | 25 |
| 1a | 11010 | 26 |
| 1b | 11011 | 27 |
| 1c | 11100 | 28 |
| 1d | 11101 | 29 |
| 1e | 11110 | 30 |
| 1f | 11111 | 31 |
| 20 | 100000 | 32 |
| 40 | 1000000 | 64 |
| 80 | 10000000 | 128 |
| 100 | 100000000 | 256 |
| 200 | 1000000000 | 512 |
| 400 | 10000000000 | 1024 |
| 800 | 100000000000 | 2048 |
Frequently Asked Questions
When is binary used instead of hex?
Binary is used to program computer systems since computer systems naturally process base-2 numbers by design. So, while hexadecimal numbers are easier to understand by humans, they need to be converted to binary to be understood by computer hardware.
Is binary better than hex?
One is not “better” than the other, rather hex numbers are easier to understand and are more compact than binary, making hex numbers easier to comprehend.
What is hex F in binary?
Hex F in binary is 00001111.