1.3 Binary Numbers
1.3.2 Bits and bytes
Bits are binary digits; they are either 0s or 1s. In a computer they are represented by the presence or absence of electrical charges.

Example:

  • binary 0 might be represented by 0 volts of electricity (0 = 0 volts)
  • binary 1 might be represented by +5 volts of electricity (1 = +5 volts)

A group of 8 bits equal 1 byte, which then can represent a single character of data, as in an ASCII code. Also, for computers,1 byte represents a single addressable storage location.

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How Bytes and Bits Work