Glossary of Data Communications TermsCourtesy Enterprise-Wide Computing, Inc. |
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. |