A system of writing to express numbers. There are many number systems; among the most popular used in academics include:

  • binary;
  • decimal; and
  • hexadecimal.
Number systemDescription
BinaryA number system with a base of 2 (values either 0 or 1); each place in binary is therefore a power of two
Decimal/DenaryA number system with a base of 10 (values between 0 and 9); each place in decimal is therefore a power of 10
HexadecimalA number system with a base of 16 (values between 0 and F); each place in hexadecimal is therefore a power of 16