Hexadecimal to Decimal Conversion
Converting hexadecimal numbers to decimal numbers is a common task in computer science and programming. In hexadecimal numbering system, the base is 16 and the digits range from 0 to 9, followed by A to F (equivalent to 10 to 15 in decimal). To convert a hexadecimal number to decimal, each digit is multiplied by 16 raised to the power of its position from right to left, starting with 0. The results are then summed up to get the equivalent decimal number.
For example, let's convert the hexadecimal number 3A7B to decimal. The digit '3' in position 0 is equal to 3 _ 16^0 = 3 _ 1 = 3. The digit 'A' in position 1 is equal to 10 _ 16^1 = 10 _ 16 = 160. Similarly, '7' in position 2 is equal to 7 _ 16^2 = 7 _ 256 = 1792, and 'B' in position 3 is equal to 11 _ 16^3 = 11 _ 4096 = 45056. Adding these results together gives us 3 + 160 + 1792 + 45056 = 46911 in decimal.
Common use cases for hexadecimal to decimal conversion include programming languages where hexadecimal numbers are often used to represent memory addresses, color codes in web development, and bitwise operations in computer systems.