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Glossary of Data Communications Terms
Courtesy Enterprise-Wide Computing, Inc.
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Term:
bit
Definition:
Short for binary digit. The smallest unit of information
handled by a computer. One bit expresses a one (1) or a
zero (0) in a binary numeral, or a true or false logical
condition, and is represented physically by an element such
as a high or low voltage at one point in a circuit or a
small spot on a disk magnetized one way or the other. A
group of eight (8) bits makes up a byte, which can be used
to represent many types of information, such as a letter of
the alphabet, a decimal digit, or other character. Related
terms are ASCII, binary, byte.
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