• Diplomjodler@lemmy.world
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        3 months ago

        A bit isn’t represented by a one or a zero, that’s nonsense. A bit can take the state of a one or a zero and is represented in various ways in digital circuitry.

          • phutatorius@lemmy.zip
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            3 months ago

            those states are represented by binary numbers.

            The states represent binary numbers, not the other way around.

            https://www.britannica.com/technology/bit-communications

            A bit is a binary digit. That’s what “bit” is an abbreviation for. That is, it’s either a 1 or a 0. It’s a logical thing, not a physical thing. It’s a unit of information.

            The embodiment of that bit is the physical state of a certain tiny, addressable chunk of silicon. And there could be any of several other embodiments: the position of toggle switches, chalk marks on a board, pits on a metallic surface in a DVD, voltage in a wire at a particular time. The particular embodiment is an engineering choice that is distinct from the information itself.