Hexadecimal is a base-16 number system that uses the digits 0 to 9 and the letters A to F.

Why does one hexadecimal digit represent exactly four bits?

Four bits give 2⁴ = 16 patterns, one for each of the sixteen hex digits. Each hex digit therefore stands for exactly one nibble.

Does a computer store data in hexadecimal?

A computer stores all data in binary. Hexadecimal is only a shorthand that makes binary easier for people to handle.

Why is hexadecimal a better shorthand for binary than denary?

Each hex digit lines up with exactly four bits, so conversion is quick and exact. Denary digits do not match any fixed group of bits.

Edexcel GCSE Computer Science 1CP2

Computational Thinking

Topic overview Decomposition, abstraction and subprograms Algorithms, flowcharts and pseudocode Operators and trace tables Logic errors, test data and efficiency Searching and sorting algorithms Truth tables

Data

Topic overview Binary, states and unsigned integers Two's complement Binary addition, overflow and shifts Hexadecimal ASCII and the limits of binary representation Bitmap images Sound sampling Storage units, file sizes and compression

Computers

Topic overview Von Neumann architecture and the fetch-decode-execute cycle Secondary storage: magnetic, optical and solid state Embedded systems Operating systems Utility software and robust software Low-level and high-level languages and translators

Networks

Topic overview LANs, WANs and the structure of the internet Wired and wireless connectivity and network speed Network protocols The four-layer TCP/IP model Bus, star and mesh topologies Network security and protection

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Topic overview Environmental impact of digital devices Personal data: privacy, ownership and consent Artificial intelligence, machine learning and robotics Intellectual property: copyright, patents, trademarks and licences Malware, hacking and social engineering Protecting digital systems and data

Problem Solving with Programming

Topic overview Readable code, debugging and testing Selection and loops in Python Data types, conversion, variables and constants String handling Lists, two-dimensional lists and records Keyboard input, screen output and CSV files Validation and authentication in Python Operators, functions and variable scope Turtle graphics

Data

Hexadecimal

3 things to know
Paper 1

Overview

Hexadecimal digits and why programmers use them, why one digit stands for four bits, worked conversions between binary and hexadecimal, and web colours.

What you need to know

Answer each one before you reveal it.

Your recallNot started

Key term

What is hexadecimal?

Key term

Which denary values do the hexadecimal digits A to F stand for?

Key term

Why do programmers use hexadecimal instead of long binary numbers?

Questions from this subtopic

Each one with the model answer underneath.

1
What is hexadecimal?
Model answer
Hexadecimal is a base-16 number system that uses the digits 0 to 9 and the letters A to F.
2
Which denary values do the hexadecimal digits A to F stand for?
Model answer
The hex digits A, B, C, D, E and F stand for 10, 11, 12, 13, 14 and 15.
3
Why do programmers use hexadecimal instead of long binary numbers?
Model answer
Hexadecimal is far shorter than binary, so people read and remember it more easily. Fewer digits also means fewer mistakes when copying values.
4
Why does one hexadecimal digit represent exactly four bits?
Model answer
Four bits give 2⁴ = 16 patterns, one for each of the sixteen hex digits. Each hex digit therefore stands for exactly one nibble.
5
Does a computer store data in hexadecimal?
Model answer
A computer stores all data in binary. Hexadecimal is only a shorthand that makes binary easier for people to handle.
6
Why is hexadecimal a better shorthand for binary than denary?
Model answer
Each hex digit lines up with exactly four bits, so conversion is quick and exact. Denary digits do not match any fixed group of bits.

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