Number Base Converter
Explore how numbers are represented in different bases. Convert between binary, decimal, hexadecimal, and octal formats with visualizations.
Base Converter
Binary Visualization
Common Values Reference
| Description | Decimal | Binary | Hex | Octal |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Max byte value | 255 | 11111111 | FF | 377 |
| ASCII 'A' | 65 | 01000001 | 41 | 101 |
| Unix rwxr-xr-x | 493 | 111101101 | 1ED | 755 |
| 1 Kilobyte | 1024 | 10000000000 | 400 | 2000 |
| Max 16-bit | 65535 | 1111111111111111 | FFFF | 177777 |
Understanding Number Bases
Binary (Base-2)
Uses only 0 and 1. Each position represents a power of 2. This is how computers store all data internally.
1010 = 1×8 + 0×4 + 1×2 + 0×1 = 10
Decimal (Base-10)
Our everyday number system with 10 digits (0-9). Each position represents a power of 10.
255 = 2×100 + 5×10 + 5×1
Hexadecimal (Base-16)
Uses 0-9 and A-F (where A=10, B=11... F=15). Popular for colors, memory addresses, and compact binary representation.
FF = 15×16 + 15×1 = 255
Octal (Base-8)
Uses digits 0-7. Historically used in computing, still seen in Unix file permissions (e.g., chmod 755).
377 = 3×64 + 7×8 + 7×1 = 255
How to Read the Results
When you enter a number in any format, it will be converted to all other formats. The binary visualization shows how each bit contributes to the decimal value.
- Binary (Base-2): Uses only 0 and 1 digits
- Decimal (Base-10): Standard counting system we use daily
- Hexadecimal (Base-16): Uses 0-9 and A-F, common in programming
- Octal (Base-8): Uses only 0-7 digits
Limitations & Considerations
Number precision. Very large numbers may lose precision during conversion.
Base restrictions. Each base has valid character ranges: binary (0,1), octal (0-7), decimal (0-9), hexadecimal (0-9,A-F).
Storage limits. Some programming languages have different limits for integer sizes.