NEIEP Mechanics Practice Exam

What is the Base 16 numbering system also known as?

1. Octal

2. Binary

3. Hexadecimal

4. Decimal

The correct answer is: Hexadecimal

The Base 16 numbering system is correctly referred to as hexadecimal. In the hexadecimal system, there are 16 distinct symbols used to represent values: the numbers 0 through 9 represent values zero through nine, and the letters A through F (or a through f) represent values ten through fifteen. This system is widely used in computing and digital electronics because it can represent larger values compactly compared to the decimal system, which is Base 10, or the binary system, which is Base 2. In addition, hex is particularly useful for simplifying the representation of binary codes since each hexadecimal digit corresponds to four binary digits (bits). Octal, the Base 8 system, and binary, the Base 2 system, each have their own distinct symbols and uses, particularly in computing, but they do not represent the same values as hexadecimal. Decimal, as mentioned, is the familiar Base 10 system used in everyday counting and mathematics. Each of these systems has its own base, making them fundamentally different from hexadecimal.