Byte
Description
A byte is a bit package. This is a defined number of ceros (0) and ones (1), normally 8, 16, 32 or 64 bits per package: Powers of 2.
A byte encompassing 8 bits, where each one of them is off or silent (0) can be expressed in writing like this:
- 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
A byte with it's first bit on, can be called 1 in base 10:
- 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1
A byte with the second bit on would be 2 in base 10:
- 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0
The 3 would be written turning the first and second bits of the byte on:
- 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 1
The 4 like this:
- 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0
Any combination of ceros and ones can then be associated to a number in base 10.
How many combination are there in an 8 bits byte?
Each position of a turned on bit inside the byte can be associated to a value:
128 64 32 16 8 4 2 1
1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1
This is known as binary system or Base 2
If we add up all the values we can determined which is the highest number that can be written in 8 bits:
1 + 2 + 4 + 8 + 16 + 32 + 64 + 128 = 255
The only thing left to do is to add the combination in which all the bits are turned off, which is to say, the 0. So resulting that the number of posible combinations of ceros (0) an ones (1) in an 8 bit byte is 256.
