Hex vs. Binary for Reading Memory and Color Values
Hexadecimal is preferred over raw binary for memory addresses and color values because it's dramatically more compact — each hex digit represents exactly 4 binary digits, so an 8-digit hex value stands in for a 32-character binary string — while still converting cleanly and directly to binary, unlike decimal, which doesn't align evenly with binary's underlying groupings.
This is why a color like #FF5733 or a memory address like 0x7FFE is written in hex rather than as a long string of 1s and 0s.
The readability problem hex solves
A 32-bit memory address in raw binary is a 32-character string of 1s and 0s that's genuinely difficult for a person to read, compare, or type accurately — the same address in hexadecimal is just 8 characters, a direct, lossless compression of the binary value that's dramatically easier to work with.
Why colors specifically use hex pairs
A standard RGB color value uses one byte (8 bits) per channel, and since 8 bits splits evenly into two 4-bit hex digits, each color channel maps perfectly onto a two-character hex pair — which is exactly the FF, 57, and 33 pairs in a code like #FF5733, each representing one of the red, green, and blue channels.