Hexadecimal Arithmetic

• Hexadecimal is a base 16 number system.
• To add hexadecimal numbers:
1. Add the two hex digits by working with their decimal equivalents.
2. If the decimal sum is less than 16 write down the hex equivalent.
3. If the decimal sum is 16 or more, subtract 16, write down the hex result and carry 1 to the next-more-significant column.
• Hexadecimal addition can also be accomplished by converting the hexadecimal numbers to binary and adding the binary numbers.
• Subtraction of hexadecimal numbers:
1. Subtract the decimal equivalents of the hex digits.
2. If a borrow is needed, subtract 1 from the more-significant digit and add a decimal 16 to the digit being borrowed to.
3. Write down the hex equivalent of the decimal difference.
• Hexadecimal subtraction can be accomplished by converting the hexadecimal number to binary and then performing binary subtraction.

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Date last modified: August 16, 2012.