Base Converter
About Number Bases
Decimal (Base 10): Uses digits 0-9. This is the number system we use in everyday life.
Binary (Base 2): Uses only 0 and 1. This is the fundamental language of computers - all data is stored in binary.
Octal (Base 8): Uses digits 0-7. Historically used in computing, less common today.
Hexadecimal (Base 16): Uses digits 0-9 and letters A-F. Very common in programming and digital systems because each hex digit represents exactly 4 binary bits.
Frequently Asked Questions
A number base (or radix) is the number of unique digits used to represent numbers. Decimal (base 10) uses 0-9, binary (base 2) uses 0-1, octal (base 8) uses 0-7, and hexadecimal (base 16) uses 0-9 and A-F.
Binary is fundamental to computers (all data is stored in binary). Hexadecimal is convenient for representing binary data (each hex digit = 4 binary bits). Octal was historically used in computing. Decimal is what humans naturally use.
To convert to decimal: multiply each digit by its base raised to its position power, then sum. To convert from decimal: repeatedly divide by the target base and collect remainders. Our calculator handles all conversions automatically.