How many bits are in a byte?

• A. 4
• B. 8
• C. 16
• D. 32

Answer: (B)

A byte is eight bits. A bit is a single 0 or 1, and grouping eight of them gives 2^8 = 256 possible patterns, enough to encode common characters and symbols used in text. This eight-bit grouping became standard because it balances simple hardware design with practical data representation, making it convenient for memory addressing and data transfer. So, eight bits make up one byte.