Conversion tutorial follows the conversion chart...

CNS Number System Conversions - Binary - Octal - Hexadecimal 
The key is understanding powers of 2, 8, and 16! Note the relationships below in number of zeros and the corresponding powers. -- Cool! Corresponding decimal numbers are the "magic" numbers for computers (now you know why)! E.g., what is the highest decimal number that can be expressed in 8 binary bits? -- 11111111 = 255 decimal, 377 octal, and FF hexadecimal -- add 1 to each and you get 100000000 (2 to the 8th power in decimal), 256 decimal, 400 octal, and 100 hexadecimal (16 to the 2nd power or 16x16 in decimal). Also remember that every numbering system begins with 0! And 0-255 decimal is actually 256 numbers!  The A-F in hexadecimal are numbers not letters! We could just as easily have made up other number symbols to represent those extra 6 numbers between 9 and 10 in hexadecimal. 
Need help? E-mail Tere Prasse.
Decimal Binary Power of 2 Octal Power of 8 Hexadecimal Power of 16  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 Decimal Hex
0 0   0   0   0 0
1 1 0 1 0 1 0 1 1
2 10 1  2   2   2 2
4 100 2  4    4   3 3
8 1000 3 10 1  8   4 4
16 10000 4 20   10 1 5 5
32 100000 5  40    20   6 6
64 1000000 6 100 2  40   7 7
128 10000000 7  200    80   8 8
256 100000000 8  400   100 2 9 9
512 1000000000 9 1000 3  200   10 A
1024 10000000000 10  2000    400   11 B
2048 100000000000 11  4000    800   12 C
4096 1000000000000 12 10000 4 1000 3 13 D
8192 10000000000000 13  20000    2000   14 E
16384 100000000000000 14  40000    4000   15 F
32768 1000000000000000 15 100000 5  8000   16 10
65536 10000000000000000 16  200000   10000 4  
131072 100000000000000000 17  400000    20000  
262144 1000000000000000000 18 1000000 6  40000  
524288 10000000000000000000 19  2000000    80000  
1048576 1E+020 20  4000000   100000 5
2097152 1E+021 21 10000000 7  200000  
4194304 1E+022 22  20000000    400000  
8388608 1E+023 23  40000000    800000  
16777216 1E+024 24 100000000 8 1000000 6
33554432 1E+025 25  200000000    2000000  
67108864 1E+026 26  400000000    4000000  
134217728 1E+027 27 1000000000 9  8000000  
268435456 1E+028 28  2000000000   10000000 7
536870912 1E+029 29  4000000000    20000000  
1073741824 1E+030 30 10000000000 10  40000000  
Binary to Decimal 

Let's use binary 11111111 (8 "on" bits). Start at the left and note the leftmost number by itself is 10000000 or 2 to the seventh (128). Take each digit in turn; the next is 1000000 or 2 to the sixth (64); etc. If we do this by writing down each decimal equivalent and then adding them, we get the decimal number.

128 + 64 + 32 + 16 + 8 + 4 + 2 + 1 = 255

Let's take another example.  How about 10010110...

128 + 0 + 0 + 16 + 0 + 4 + 2 + 0 = 150

Notice if the binary digit is zero, it becomes a zero in our little equation. These are so easy you can do them in your head!

Octal to Decimal

Also easy, once you get the hang of it! Let's try 377 in octal. Again, start at the leftmost digit by itself, which is 300 which is the same thing as 192 in decimal (64 decimal or 8 to the 2nd -- see the 2 zeros -- times the 3 = 192), then 70 which is the same as 56 in decimal (8 decimal or 8 to the 1st -- see the 1 zero -- times the 7 = 56), the 7 which is also 7 in decimal (1 or 8 to the zero power times 7 = 7). Check the powers of 8 in the chart above to get the picture.

192 + 56 + 7 = 255

How about another? Try octal 226...

200 or 2 x 64 = 128 --then-- 20 or 2 x 8 = 16 --then-- 6 or 6 x 1 = 6

128 + 16 + 6 = 150

 Hexadecimal to Decimal

Let's take a look at FF in hexadecimal.  Using the same technique, we take F0 first which is 16 to the 1st (16) times F (15 in decimal) = 240, and then 16 to the 0 power (1) times F (15 in decimal) = 15. This is a piece of cake!

240 + 15 = 255

Another? Give 96 in hexadecimal a try...

90 or 9 x 16 = 144 --then-- 6 or 6 x 1 = 6

144 + 6 = 150

One more? Try AD in hexadecimal...

A0 or 10 x 16 = 160 --then-- D or 13 x 1 = 13

160 + 13 = 173

If you practice with these enough, you will soon be able to do all the easier numbers (256 decimal and below) quickly in your head.

Notice in all the conversions above we were multiplying and then adding (in binary, we were actually multiplying by 1 for each digit); to convert the other way, we divide by the highest power that can be divided and then subtract (it's a remainder). Let's take a look at a few.

Decimal to Binary

Let's try our favorite, 255 in decimal. Since we're dealing with 1s and 0s in binary, we can dispense with the division and go straight to subtraction. Start with the highest power of 2 which when subtracted gives a positive result. So in this case, we start with 2 to the 7th or 128 in decimal. Then try each lesser power of 2 -- if it gives a negative, we can't subtract it, so it would be a zero. But in our example below, every one of the powers subtracts.

255 - 128 = 127 - 64 = 63 - 32 = 31 - 16 = 15 - 8 = 7 - 4 = 3 - 2 = 1

128 = 10000000 (2 to 7th)
64 = 1000000 (2 to 6th)
32 = 100000 (2 to 5th)
16 = 10000 (2 to 4th)
8 = 1000 (2 to 3rd)
4 = 100 (2 to 2nd)
2 = 10 (2 to 1st)
1 = 1 (2 to zero)
255 = 11111111

Another? Let's take the old 150 decimal we used above to compare with how it plays out...

150 - 128 = 22 - 0 = 22 - 0 = 22 - 16 = 6 - 0 = 6 - 4 = 2 - 2 = 0

Notice we can't subtract 2 to the 6th, 5th, 3rd or 0 powers so we put a zero placeholder simply for logic purposes in this example.

128 = 10000000 (2 to 7th)
0 = 0000000
0 = 000000
16 = 10000 (2 to 4th)
0 = 0000
4 = 100 (2 to 2nd)
2 = 10 (2 to 1st)
0 = 0
150 = 10010110

Decimal to Octal

Here we go with 255 decimal again... Start with the highest power of 8 that can be divided into 255. It's 8 to the 2nd or 64. 64 goes into 255 3 times with 63 left over. Then take the next power of 8 (8 to the 1st or 8) that can be divided into the remainder. 8 goes into 63 7 times with 7 left over.  For illustration logic, we can now take 8 to the 0 power or 1 and divide that into the remainder which gives us 7.

255 / 64 = 3 with remainder 63 --then-- 63 / 8 = 7 with remainder 7

192 = 300 (8 to 2nd in octal times 3)
56 = 70 (8 to 1st in octal times 7)
7 = 7 (8 to 0 in octal times 7)
255 = 377

Now for our second try... 150 in decimal...

150 / 64 = 2 with remainder 22 --then-- 22 / 8 = 2 with remainder 6

128 = 200 (8 to 2nd in octal times 2)
16 = 20 (8 to 1st in octal times 2)
6 = 6 (8 to 0 in octal times 6)
150 = 226

By now you should have noticed the easy shortcut. Just flow out every division result from left to right and you get the octal number.

Decimal to Hexadecimal

Like falling off a log... We use exactly the same logic but divide by powers of 16. We'll start with the good old 255 in decimal. Remember to think of A-F in hexadecimal as numbers!

255 / 16 = 15 (hexadecimal F) remainder 15 (hexadecimal F)

240 = F0 (16 to 1st in hex times F)
15 = F (16 to 0 in hex times F)
255 = FF

Try our 150 in decimal...

150 / 16 = 9 remainder 6

144 = 90 (16 to 1st in hex times 9)
6 = 6 (16 to 0 in hex times 6)
150 = 96

Let's go for one more... 173 in decimal.

173 / 16 = 10 (A in hexadecimal) remainder 13 (D in hexadecimal)

160 = A0 (16 to 1st in hex times A)
13 = D (16 to 0 in hex times D)
173 = AD

Here's one for a little challenge... 3028 in decimal. (Start with 16 to 2nd.)

3028 / 256 = 11 (B in hexadecimal) remainder 212 -- then-- 
212 / 16 = 13 (D in hexadecimal) remainder 4

2816 = B00 (16 to 2nd in hex times B)
208 = D0 (16 to 1st in hex times D)
4 = 4 (16 to 0 in hex times 4)
3028 = BD4

Try 4100 in decimal for a little trickiness... (Start with 16 to 3rd.)

4100 / 4096 = 1 remainder 4 --then--
4 / 256 = 0 remainder 4 --then--
4 / 16 = 0 remainder 4

4096 = 1000 (16 to 3rd in hex times 1)
0 = 000 (16 to 2nd in hex times 0)
0 = 00 (16 to 1st in hex times 0)
4 = 4 (16 to 0 in hex times 4)
4100 = 1004

Now go practice, practice, practice!!!  You have the power (of 2, 8, and 16)! :)

 
This file was created by Tere Prasse on 08/21/99 using Lotus 1-2-3 Millennium (v.9).
Send comments to amci@amcinet.com

Download Lotus 1-2-3 Millennium Decimal - Binary - Octal - Hexadecimal Converter
(May be used with MS Excel 97/2000 if conversion function add-ins are loaded -- number of digits very limited for some conversions)

cnvtr1.123 (Lotus 1-2-3 v.9 file -- will not work with earlier Lotus versions)

cnvtr1.xls (MS Excel 97/2000 file)
If Analysis Toolpak add-ins are loaded into Excel 2000, the above file will load directly into the IE 5.0 window. Entering a valid decimal, binary, octal, or hexadecimal number in the appropriate row of the B column provides automatic conversions in the C, D, and E columns.