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bit

Samuel Mann · BY · by

EntityQ8805· pop 101· linked from 1,793 articles

Also known as b, binary digit, logic value

The bit is the most basic unit of information in computing and digital communication. The name is a portmanteau of binary digit. The bit represents a logical state with one of two possible values. These values are most commonly represented as , but other representations such as true/false, yes/no, on/off, and +/− are also widely used.

AI overview

A bit is the smallest unit of information in computing, representing a single choice between two opposite states (like 0 or 1, true or false, on or off). Bits matter because all digital information—from the text on your screen to the photos on your phone—is ultimately built from these simple two-state units combined together.

AI-generated from the Wikipedia summary — may contain errors.

Wikidata facts

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unit symbol
bit
Stack Exchange tag
stackoverflow.com/tags/bit
conversion to standard unit
0.25
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~12 min read

Article

9 sections
Contents
  • History
  • Physical representation <span class="anchor" id="Representation"></span>
  • Transmission and processing
  • Storage
  • Unit and symbol
  • Multiple bits
  • See also
  • References
  • External links

The bit is the most basic unit of information in computing and digital communication. The name is a portmanteau of binary digit. The bit represents a logical state with one of two possible values. These values are most commonly represented as , but other representations such as true/false, yes/no, on/off, and +/− are also widely used.

The relation between these values and the physical states of the underlying storage or device is a matter of convention, and different assignments may be used even within the same device or program. It may be physically implemented with a two-state device.

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