Associated Topics || Dr. Math Home || Search Dr.

Math

Adding Hexadecimal Numbers

Date: 01/31/2005 at 22:16:12
From: Hitesh
Subject: Adding Hexadecimals that are complex
I'm trying to add two hexadecimal numbers, ACF1 + AFFF. I've read
your guides on this website and I still can't get an idea about how I
should go about working out this problem. I'm not looking for the
answer, I'm just looking for a push in the right direction if
possible.

Date: 02/01/2005 at 03:15:11

From: Doctor Achilles
Subject: Re: Adding Hexadecimals that are complex
Hi Hitesh,
Thanks for writing to Dr. Math.
I have to admit I haven't read all of our archives on hex, so I
appologize if this is repetitious, but I want to start from scratch.
One-digit hex addition (I will omit examples of the commutative
property such as 1+2 = 2+1):
1+1 = 2
1+2 = 3
1+3 = 2+2 = 4
1+4 = 2+3 = 5
1+5 = 2+4 = 3+3 = 6
1+6 = 2+5 = 3+4 = 7
1+7 = 2+6 = 3+5 = 4+4 = 8
1+8 = 2+7 = 3+6 = 4+5 = 9
1+9 = 2+8 = 3+7 = 4+6 = 5+5 = A
1+A = 2+9 = 3+8 = 4+7 = 5+6 = B
1+B = 2+A = 3+9 = 4+8 = 5+7 = 6+6 = C

1+C = 2+B = 3+A = 4+9 = 5+8 = 6+7 = D

1+D = 2+C = 3+B = 4+A = 5+9 = 6+8 = 7+7 = E
1+E = 2+D = 3+C = 4+B = 5+A = 6+9 = 7+8 = F
1+F = 2+E = 3+D = 4+C = 5+B = 6+A = 7+9 = 8+8 = 10
2+F = 3+E = 4+D = 5+C = 6+B = 7+A = 8+9 = 11
3+F = 4+E = 5+D = 6+C = 7+B = 8+A = 9+9 = 12
4+F = 5+E = 6+D = 7+C = 8+B = 9+A = 13
5+F = 6+E = 7+D = 8+C = 9+B = A+A = 14
6+F = 7+E = 8+D = 9+C = A+B = 15
7+F = 8+E = 9+D = A+C = B+B = 16
8+F = 9+E = A+D = B+C = 17
9+F = A+E = B+D = C+C = 18
A+F = B+E = C+D = 19
B+F = C+E = D+D = 1A
C+F = D+E = 1B
D+F = E+E = 1C
E+F = 1D
F+F = 1E
Ok, now to do addition, you do it just like normal addition. Line the
numbers up, start by adding the one's digit and carry the 1 if there
is one.
E.g.
182AB
+ 5FCAA
--------First, add the one's digit: B+A = 15, so I carry the 1:
1
182AB
+ 5FCAA
--------5
Now, add the ten's digit: A+A = 14, plus the 1 I carried = 15.
Remember to carry the 1 again:
11
182AB
+ 5FCAA
--------55
Now, add the hundred's digit: 2+C = E, plus the 1 I carried = F:
11
182AB
+ 5FCAA
--------F55
Now, add the thousands digit: 8+F = 17, carry the 1:
1 11
182AB
+ 5FCAA
--------7F55

Now, add the last digit: 1+5 = 6, plus the 1 I carried = 7:

1 11
182AB
+ 5FCAA
--------77F55
So:
182AB + 5FCAA = 77F55
Hope this helps. If you have other questions or you'd like to talk
about this some more, please write back.
- Doctor Achilles, The Math Forum
http://mathforum.org/dr.math/

Associated Topics:
High School Number Theory

Search the Dr. Math Library:

Find items containing (put spaces between keywords):

Click only once for faster results: SEARCH

[ Choose "whole words" when searching for a word like age.]

all keywords, in any order

at least one,
that exact phrase
parts of words
whole words

Submit your own question to Dr. Math

[Privacy Policy] [Terms of Use]
Math Forum Home || Math Library || Quick Reference || Math Forum Search
Ask Dr. MathTM
1994-2015 The Math Forum
http://mathforum.org/dr.math/