Hex Calculator · Practical guide
Hex Subtraction with Steps
Hex subtraction borrows 16 at a time instead of 10 — here's a full worked example with a decimal check.
At a glance
The short answer
Subtract hex numbers column by column from right to left. When the top digit is smaller than the bottom digit, borrow 16 from the next column — not 10. Example: 0x100 − 0x1F = 0xE1. Verified in decimal: 256 − 31 = 225, and 225 in hex is 0xE1 (14 × 16 + 1).
Interactive tool
Hex Calculator
Enter your own values, then compare the result with the examples below.
Result
Step-by-step: 0x100 − 0x1F
- Units column: 0 − F (15) is too small, so borrow from the sixteens column. That column is also 0, so the borrow cascades from the 256s digit: the 1 becomes 0, lending 16 down the line. Units become 16 − 15 = 1.
- Sixteens column: after passing the borrow along, this column holds 15 (it received 16 and lent 1). 15 − 1 = 14, which is E.
- 256s column: the 1 was borrowed away, leaving 0.
- Result: 0xE1.
The one rule to remember
Every borrow in hex is worth 16 in the smaller column because each position is a power of 16. So borrowing into the units column adds 16, and borrowing into the sixteens column adds 16 sixteens, which is 256 in decimal. Everything else — alignment, right-to-left order, cascaded borrows across zeros — works exactly like decimal subtraction.
Negative results and division
If the second number is larger than the first, the result is negative — 0xA − 0xB = −0x1, since 10 − 11 = −1. The calculator above handles subtraction along with addition, multiplication, and division, and shows each result in hex, decimal, and binary plus the decimal steps used to get there, which makes it a fast way to check hand work.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do you borrow in hexadecimal?
Borrowing works like decimal except each borrow carries a value of 16 instead of 10. If you borrow from the sixteens column into the units column, the units digit gains 16.
What is 0xA minus 0xF?
0xA − 0xF = −0x5. In decimal that is 10 − 15 = −5. Hex subtraction can produce negative results just like decimal.
How do I check hex subtraction by hand?
Convert both operands to decimal, subtract, then convert the answer back to hex. For 0x100 − 0x1F: 256 − 31 = 225, and 225 = 14 × 16 + 1, which is 0xE1.
What is E minus F in hex?
A single column E − F (14 − 15) requires a borrow: add 16 to get 30 − 15 = 15, which is F, and carry a borrow of 1 to the next column.