How do you convert a decimal number to its hexadecimal equivalent?

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

To convert a decimal number to its hexadecimal equivalent, you need to follow a process of dividing by 16 and recording the remainders. This process is based on the fact that hexadecimal is a base-16 number system, meaning it uses 16 different symbols to represent numbers. These symbols are 0-9 and A-F, where A represents 10, B represents 11, up to F which represents 15.

Start by dividing your decimal number by 16. The quotient you get will be used for the next division, and the remainder will be the least significant digit (rightmost digit) of your hexadecimal number. If the remainder is greater than 9, replace it with the corresponding letter (A-F).

Continue this process of dividing the quotient by 16 and recording the remainder until the quotient is zero. The remainders, read in reverse order (from the last one you got to the first), form the hexadecimal equivalent of the decimal number.

For example, let's convert the decimal number 254 to hexadecimal. First, divide 254 by 16 to get a quotient of 15 and a remainder of 14. The remainder 14 corresponds to the letter E in hexadecimal, so E is the least significant digit. Then, divide the quotient 15 by 16 to get a quotient of 0 and a remainder of 15. The remainder 15 corresponds to the letter F in hexadecimal. As the quotient is now 0, we stop here. Reading the remainders in reverse order gives us the hexadecimal equivalent of 254, which is FE.

Remember, this process works for any decimal number, and understanding it can be very useful in computer science, as hexadecimal is often used in programming and data representation.