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Bit

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A '''bit''' is the rudimentary unit used in digital electronics. A bit is a binary (or base 2) amount which can either be assigned a value of 1 or 0. Typically in a [[computer]] bits are not addressed directly, rather they are grouped into 8 bit units called [[bytes]].
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A '''bit''' is the rudimentary unit used in digital electronics. A bit is a binary (or base 2) amount which can either be assigned a value of 1 or 0. Typically in a [[computer]] bits are not addressed directly, rather they are grouped into 8 bit units called [[byte|bytes]].
  
 
==Theory==
 
==Theory==
 
Any variable which has N distinct values can be represented by log<sub>2</sub>(N) bits.
 
Any variable which has N distinct values can be represented by log<sub>2</sub>(N) bits.

Latest revision as of 19:39, 18 February 2007

A bit is the rudimentary unit used in digital electronics. A bit is a binary (or base 2) amount which can either be assigned a value of 1 or 0. Typically in a computer bits are not addressed directly, rather they are grouped into 8 bit units called bytes.

[edit] Theory

Any variable which has N distinct values can be represented by log2(N) bits.