A Level Computer Science OCR Practice Exam

What is the primary base of the hexadecimal numerical system?

1. 8

2. 10

3. 16

4. 20

The correct answer is: 16

The hexadecimal numerical system is a base-16 system, which means it uses 16 distinct symbols to represent values. These symbols include the numbers 0 to 9 and the letters A to F, where A represents 10, B represents 11, C represents 12, D represents 13, E represents 14, and F represents 15. The significance of this base is that it allows for the representation of larger numbers in a more compact form compared to the decimal (base-10) or binary (base-2) systems. Each position in a hexadecimal number corresponds to a power of 16, similar to how each position in a decimal number corresponds to a power of 10. Thus, the primary base of the hexadecimal system is indeed 16, making it the correct answer.