Hexadecimal: A Beginner's Guide

Hexadecimal: A Beginner's Guide

Learning Objective

At the end of the lesson, you will be able to explain what hexadecimal is, why it is used, and convert decimal numbers to hexadecimal.

Introduce the learning objective and set expectations for the lesson.

What do you already know about number systems?

Number Systems

There are different ways to represent numbers, such as binary, decimal, and hexadecimal.

Introduce the idea of number systems and explain why they are important.

Decimal System

The decimal system uses ten digits (0-9) to represent numbers.

Explain the decimal system and its limitations.

Hexadecimal System

The hexadecimal system uses sixteen digits (0-9 and A-F) to represent numbers.

Introduce the hexadecimal system and explain its usefulness.

Converting Decimal to Hexadecimal

To convert a decimal number to hexadecimal, divide by 16 and write the remainder as a hexadecimal digit.

Show step-by-step instructions with examples.

Practice: Decimal to Hexadecimal

Convert the following decimal numbers to hexadecimal: 27, 128, 255.

Give students time to practice converting decimal numbers to hexadecimal.

Converting Hexadecimal to Decimal

To convert a hexadecimal number to decimal, multiply each digit by its corresponding power of 16 and add the results.

Explain how to convert hexadecimal to decimal and give examples.

Practice: Hexadecimal to Decimal

Convert the following hexadecimal numbers to decimal: 1A, FF, 4C.

Give students time to practice converting hexadecimal numbers to decimal.

Uses of Hexadecimal

Hexadecimal is commonly used in computer systems to represent colors, memory addresses, and other data.

Explain the practical applications of hexadecimal.

Review

What is hexadecimal? Why is it useful? How do you convert decimal to hexadecimal and vice versa?

Review the main points of the lesson with the class.

Assessment

Convert the decimal number 512 to hexadecimal.

Assess student understanding by having them complete a conversion problem independently.

Conclusion

You have now learned the basics of hexadecimal and how to convert between decimal and hexadecimal.

Wrap up the lesson and encourage students to continue practicing.

Write down 3 things you learned in this lesson.

Have students enter three things they learned in this lesson. With this they can indicate their own learning efficiency of this lesson.

Write down 2 things you want to know more about.

Here, students enter two things they would like to know more about. This not only increases involvement, but also gives them more ownership.

Ask 1 question about something you haven't quite understood yet.

The students indicate here (in question form) with which part of the material they still have difficulty. For the teacher, this not only provides insight into the extent to which the students understand/master the material, but also a good starting point for the next lesson.