Which base does hexadecimal notation operate in?

Hexadecimal notation operates in base 16, which means it uses sixteen distinct symbols to represent values. These symbols are the digits 0 through 9, which represent values zero to nine, and the letters A through F, which represent values ten to fifteen.

The use of base 16 allows for a more compact representation of binary data, which is fundamental in computer science and electronics because computers predominantly work with binary (base 2) systems. Converting binary values to hexadecimal simplifies the representation of larger binary numbers. For example, a single hexadecimal digit can represent four binary digits (bits), making it easier to read and write compared to long strings of binary numbers.

Other bases mentioned, like base 2, base 8, and base 10, serve different purposes and use different digit sets. Base 2 is binary, base 8 is octal, and base 10 is decimal, but in the context of this question, none of these bases describe the hexadecimal system. Therefore, the correct understanding of hexadecimal is firmly established in base 16.