How do you convert a binary number to its hexadecimal equivalent?

To convert a binary number to its hexadecimal equivalent, group the binary digits into sets of four and convert each group to hexadecimal.

To start with, you need to understand that binary and hexadecimal are both number systems that are used in computing. Binary uses base 2 (0 and 1) while hexadecimal uses base 16 (0-9 and A-F). The conversion process involves translating the binary number into a hexadecimal number.

Firstly, you need to group the binary digits into sets of four, starting from the right. If the binary number does not divide evenly into groups of four, you can add extra zeros to the left. For example, the binary number 1011 would be grouped as 0001 0111.

Next, you convert each group of four binary digits into a single hexadecimal digit. This is done by calculating the decimal equivalent of each binary group and then converting that decimal number into hexadecimal. For example, the binary group 0001 is equivalent to the decimal number 1, which is also 1 in hexadecimal. The binary group 0111 is equivalent to the decimal number 7, which is also 7 in hexadecimal. Therefore, the binary number 1011 would be 17 in hexadecimal.

Remember that hexadecimal numbers use the digits 0-9 and the letters A-F to represent the numbers 10-15. So, if your decimal conversion is 10 or above, you would use a letter instead of a number. For example, the binary group 1010 is equivalent to the decimal number 10, which is A in hexadecimal.

In summary, converting a binary number to its hexadecimal equivalent involves grouping the binary digits into sets of four, converting each group to its decimal equivalent, and then converting that decimal number to hexadecimal. This process is a fundamental part of understanding how different number systems are used in computing, and is a key skill for any computer science student.