In binary notation, what is a bit?

In binary notation, what is a bit?

• A. A group of eight binary digits
• B. A decimal digit
• C. A single binary digit (0 or 1)
• D. A hexadecimal symbol

Answer: (C)

A bit is the smallest unit of data in binary systems. It is a single binary digit, which can be either 0 or 1. Because binary uses base-2, each position represents a power of two, and a 1 means that that power of two is included in the value while a 0 means it is not. This is why a sequence of bits can encode numbers and other information, and why eight bits together form a byte—the standard unit that can represent 256 different values. The other options mix up different numeral systems: a group of eight binary digits is a byte, not a bit; a decimal digit belongs to base-10; a hexadecimal symbol belongs to base-16.

A bit is the smallest unit of data in binary systems. It is a single binary digit, which can be either 0 or 1. Because binary uses base-2, each position represents a power of two, and a 1 means that that power of two is included in the value while a 0 means it is not. This is why a sequence of bits can encode numbers and other information, and why eight bits together form a byte—the standard unit that can represent 256 different values. The other options mix up different numeral systems: a group of eight binary digits is a byte, not a bit; a decimal digit belongs to base-10; a hexadecimal symbol belongs to base-16.