ASVAB (Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery)Electronics Information (EI)Hard
A digital circuit uses a 4-bit binary input. How many unique output states can this circuit represent?
- A32
- B16
- C8
- D4
Show answer & explanationAnswer & explanation
Correct answer: B. 16
With a 4-bit binary input, each bit can be either 0 or 1. The total number of unique states is calculated as 2 raised to the power of the number of bits. So, 2^4 = 16 unique states.
Why the other options are wrong
- A. This is 2^5, which would be for a 5-bit system.
- C. This is 2^3, which would be for a 3-bit system.
- D. This is simply the number of bits, not the number of states.
Binary States
The number of unique combinations or values that can be represented by a given number of binary digits (bits).
- Each bit has two possible states: 0 or 1.
- The total number of states is 2 raised to the power of the number of bits.
- Examples: 1 bit = 2 states, 2 bits = 4 states, 8 bits = 256 states.
Memory trick: Bits Power Two, States for You.