A binary digit, commonly known as a bit, is the fundamental unit of information in computing and digital communications. It is the basic building block of digital data and represents the most fundamental form of information storage and processing in binary form.
The term “binary” refers to a numbering system with a base of 2, in contrast to the decimal system with a base of 10 that is commonly used in everyday life. In the binary system, only two digits are used: 0 and 1. These digits represent the two possible states of a bit—off or on, false or true, or low or high.
Bits are used to represent and store data in computers and other digital devices. They form the basis for all digital information, including numbers, text, images, audio, and video. By combining bits, complex data structures, and information can be represented.