What is the decimal range of an 8-bit binary number?

What is the decimal range of an 8-bit binary number?

• A. 0 - 127
• B. 0 - 255
• C. 1 - 256
• D. 1 - 128

Answer: (B)

An 8-bit binary number can represent a total of 256 different combinations because each bit can be either 0 or 1. The range of values is determined by starting from the minimum value of all bits being 0, which is 00000000 in binary (equivalent to 0 in decimal), to the maximum value of all bits being 1, which is 11111111 in binary. This corresponds to the decimal value 255. Hence, the full range of decimal values that can be represented by an 8-bit binary number is from 0 to 255 inclusive. This understanding aligns with the common conventions in computer science, where the count begins at 0 for binary values. Thus, the correct answer accurately reflects the capabilities of an 8-bit system.

An 8-bit binary number can represent a total of 256 different combinations because each bit can be either 0 or 1. The range of values is determined by starting from the minimum value of all bits being 0, which is 00000000 in binary (equivalent to 0 in decimal), to the maximum value of all bits being 1, which is 11111111 in binary. This corresponds to the decimal value 255. Hence, the full range of decimal values that can be represented by an 8-bit binary number is from 0 to 255 inclusive.

This understanding aligns with the common conventions in computer science, where the count begins at 0 for binary values. Thus, the correct answer accurately reflects the capabilities of an 8-bit system.