Convert the 32 bit hexadecimal value FACE1234 (base 16) into its equivalent dotted decimal IPv4 style representation.

Introduction / Context:
Converting between different number bases is a common skill in networking. IPv4 addresses, for example, are often represented in dotted decimal, but they can also be expressed in hexadecimal form. Being able to convert a 32 bit hexadecimal value into dotted decimal helps you interpret low level outputs and exam questions that present addresses in different formats.

Given Data / Assumptions:

• The hexadecimal value is FACE1234 in base 16.
• We are asked to express it as dotted decimal, implying four separate 8 bit octets.
• Each pair of hexadecimal digits corresponds to one octet.
• We must perform accurate base conversion from hexadecimal to decimal.

Concept / Approach:
A 32 bit value can be split into four bytes, each represented by two hexadecimal digits. For FACE1234, the four bytes are FA, CE, 12, and 34. Each of these is converted separately from hexadecimal to decimal. The resulting decimal values are then joined with dots to form an IPv4 style dotted decimal notation.

Step-by-Step Solution:
1. Break the hexadecimal value FACE1234 into four bytes: FA, CE, 12, and 34.2. Convert FA from hex to decimal: F equals 15 and A equals 10. Compute 15 * 16 + 10 = 240 + 10 = 250.3. Convert CE from hex to decimal: C equals 12 and E equals 14. Compute 12 * 16 + 14 = 192 + 14 = 206.4. Convert 12 from hex to decimal: 1 equals 1 and 2 equals 2. Compute 1 * 16 + 2 = 16 + 2 = 18.5. Convert 34 from hex to decimal: 3 equals 3 and 4 equals 4. Compute 3 * 16 + 4 = 48 + 4 = 52.6. Combine the four decimal octets with dots, yielding 250.206.18.52 as the dotted decimal representation.

Verification / Alternative check:
To verify, you can reverse the process by converting each decimal octet back to hexadecimal. 250 in decimal is FA in hex, 206 is CE, 18 is 12, and 52 is 34. Concatenating these gives FACE1234 again, confirming that the conversion is correct.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:
Option B, 250.206.12.52, incorrectly converts the third byte, interpreting 12 as the decimal 12 rather than the correct decimal 18. Options C and D change other bytes as well, giving 254.172.18.52 or 250.174.18.52, which do not match the proper conversion of the original hexadecimal value.

Common Pitfalls:
Typical errors include misreading hexadecimal digits, especially letters A through F, or forgetting that each hex digit represents 16 raised to the appropriate power. Another pitfall is failing to group the digits correctly into bytes and instead converting the entire 32 bit value as a single large decimal number, which does not produce dotted decimal notation. Working carefully one byte at a time avoids these mistakes.

Final Answer:
250.206.18.52