Computer Basics - Byte

In computer basics, a byte is a unit of digital information storage.

A byte = 8 bits.

  • A bit is the smallest unit of data in a computer, and it can have only two values: 0 or 1 (representing off/on, false/true).

  • When you group 8 bits together, you get a byte.

Why 8 bits?

  • With 8 bits, you can represent 2⁸ = 256 different values (from 0 to 255 in decimal).

  • That’s enough to store a single character in most computer systems (for example, the letter A, a number, or a symbol).

Examples:

  • The letter A in ASCII is represented by the number 65, which in binary is 01000001 → that’s 1 byte.

  • A text file with 100 characters takes up about 100 bytes.

  • File sizes are often measured in multiples of bytes:

    • 1 KB (kilobyte) = 1,024 bytes

    • 1 MB (megabyte) = 1,024 KB

    • 1 GB (gigabyte) = 1,024 MB

In short:

  • Bit → smallest unit (0 or 1).

  • Byte → 8 bits, enough to represent one character or a small piece of data.

  • Bytes are the building blocks for measuring and handling data in computers.