Binary digit is an English expression that means “binary digit” and that gives rise to the term bit, its acronym in our language. The concept is used in computer science to name a unit of measurement of information that is equivalent to the selection between two alternatives that have the same degree of probability.
The bit, in other words, is a digit that is part of the binary system. Unlike the decimal system, which uses ten digits (0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, and 9), the binary system appeals to only two (0 and 1). A bit, therefore, can represent one of these two values (0 or 1).
For computing, the bit is the smallest unit of information. It allows representing two different values (such as open / closed or true / false) and assigning these values to the state of on (1) or off (0).
If a bit allows us to represent two values (0 and 1), two bits allow us to encode four combinations: 0 0, 0 1, 1 0 and 1 1. Each of these four combinations, in turn, allows representing four different values. Words, pictures and numbers can be represented by bit sequences.
This means that when, referring to two digital devices, they are represented with two values, such as 0 0, it means that both are off while if the representation is 0 1, what is shown is that the first one is off and the second on.
The third possible representation is 1 1 with which we would understand perfectly that the two mentioned devices are on. And finally there is the 1 0 which means that the first one, the one on the left, is on and the second is off.
The set of eight bits that make up a unit of information is called an octet. A byte, on the other hand, is a series of neighboring bits whose size is linked to the information code in which it is defined. It is usual, however, for a byte to be made up of 8 bits.
There are also other multiples of these values that we have underlined. Specifically, there is also the kilobyte that equals 1,024 bytes, the megabyte that equals 1024 kilobytes, or the gigabyte that equals 1024 megabytes. The growing succession continues with terabytes, petabytes, exabytes, zetabytes, yotabytes, and xentabytes, among other multiples.
Let’s take the example of the images. The notion of bit allows to refer to the classification of colors. A 1-bit image therefore only has two values (black or white); an 8-bit image, it can display up to 256 colors thanks to combinations of zeros and ones.
In addition to all that has been underlined, we have to say that the term that concerns us is used in the police field of Spain to refer to a very important division of the same. Specifically when talking about BIT, the Technological Research Brigade is being mentioned, which is the one in charge of protecting citizens in general and more specifically all those who browse the Internet.
Scams, spam or hoax are some of the issues that this police section is in charge of that we can say works for the safety of all.
