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01

Software → Digital Logic

Bit

The smallest unit of information in computing, representing one of two possible values.

Motivation

Bit solves the problem of representing information with the smallest binary unit.

Where it fits

Bit belongs to digital logic, hardware, and data representation.

Mental model

A bit has two possible values, commonly modeled as 0 or 1, false or true, low or high signal.

Common mistakes

  • Thinking bits are inherently numbers only.
  • Ignoring that meaning comes from interpretation.

Bit connects to byte, binary number, boolean logic, and digital signal.