You may have heard of bits and bytes, but do you know what they are and how they differ? In this article, we will explain the basics of these units of digital information and why they matter in the world of computing and communication.

What is a bit?

A bit is the smallest piece of information in a computer, a single value storing either 0 or 1. These two values are also called binary digits, hence the name bit. Bits are the building blocks of all data and instructions in a computer system. They can represent numbers, letters, symbols, sounds, images, and more.

What is a byte?

A byte is a unit of digital information that consists of 8 bits. A byte can store one character, such as “a”, “B”, or “#”. A byte is also the smallest addressable unit of memory in a computer, meaning that a byte can be read or written as a whole by the processor. Bytes are often used to measure the size of files, storage devices, and memory.

Why 8 bits in a byte?

The origin of the term byte is not clear, but it is believed to be coined by Werner Buchholz in 1956, during the early design phase of the IBM Stretch computer. He used it to refer to a group of bits that could vary in size depending on the instruction. Later, the term was standardized to mean 8 bits, as this was a convenient power of two that could represent 256 different values, enough to encode most characters and symbols in common use.

How are bits and bytes used?

Bits and bytes are used to store and transmit data in various forms. For example, a text file may contain a sequence of bytes that represent the characters in the file. A sound file may contain a sequence of bits that represent the amplitude and frequency of the sound waves. A picture file may contain a sequence of bits that represent the color and brightness of the pixels. A video file may contain a sequence of bits that represent the frames and motion of the images.

Bits and bytes are also used to measure the speed and capacity of data transmission and storage. For example, a modem may have a speed of 56 kilobits per second (Kbps), meaning that it can send or receive 56,000 bits per second. A hard disk may have a capacity of 500 gigabytes (GB), meaning that it can store 500 billion bytes of data. A DVD may have a capacity of 4.7 GB, meaning that it can store about two hours of video.

What are the prefixes for bits and bytes?

Bits and bytes can be multiplied by powers of 10 or powers of 2 to form larger units. The prefixes for powers of 10 are based on the International System of Units (SI), such as kilo, mega, giga, tera, etc. The prefixes for powers of 2 are based on the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) standards, such as kibi, mebi, gibi, tebi, etc. The table below shows some examples of these units and their values.

Note that there is a difference between the values of the same prefix for powers of 10 and powers of 2. For example, 1 kilobyte (kB) is 1,000 bytes, but 1 kibibyte (KiB) is 1,024 bytes. This difference can cause confusion and inconsistency when measuring data size and speed. Therefore, it is recommended to use the IEC prefixes for powers of 2 and the SI prefixes for powers of 10, as defined by the IEC 80000-13 standard.

How many bits are in a byte nyt?

The answer to the question of how many bits are in a byte nyt is 8. This is the most common and widely accepted definition of a byte, as used by the writers and editors of the New York Times and other authoritative sources. However, it is important to remember that the byte is not a fixed or universal unit, and that it may have different meanings in different contexts and systems. Therefore, it is always advisable to check the source and specification of the data before making any assumptions or calculations based on bits and bytes.