What is the denary representation of the hexadecimal number F3?

The denary (or decimal) representation of the hexadecimal number F3 is 243.

Hexadecimal is a base-16 number system, which means it uses sixteen distinct symbols to represent numbers. These symbols are 0-9 and A-F, where A represents 10, B represents 11, C represents 12, D represents 13, E represents 14, and F represents 15.

The hexadecimal number F3 is a two-digit number, with F as the first digit and 3 as the second. To convert this to denary, we need to multiply each digit by 16 raised to the power of its position, starting from 0 on the right.

So, for the hexadecimal number F3, the calculation would be as follows:

F (15 in denary) * 16^1 (16 to the power of 1) = 240
3 * 16^0 (16 to the power of 0) = 3

Adding these two results together gives us the denary equivalent of F3, which is 243.

This conversion is a fundamental concept in computer science, as different number systems are often used in different contexts. For example, hexadecimal is commonly used in programming and digital electronics because it's more compact than binary and easier to convert back and forth from binary. Understanding how to convert between these systems is a key skill for any computer science student.