• Diplomjodler@lemmy.world
      link
      fedilink
      English
      arrow-up
      1
      arrow-down
      17
      ·
      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
          link
          fedilink
          English
          arrow-up
          1
          arrow-down
          5
          ·
          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.