Binärziffer

Binärziffer, also known as a bit, is the fundamental unit of information in computing and digital communications. It represents one of two possible states, typically denoted as 0 or 1. These two states can correspond to various physical phenomena, such as the presence or absence of an electrical charge, a low or high voltage, or a magnetic north or south pole.

The binary system, which uses only these two digits, forms the basis of all digital data processing. Computers perform operations by manipulating sequences of bits. Larger units of information are constructed by grouping bits together. For instance, a byte typically consists of eight bits and can represent a character, a number, or a portion of an image.

The concept of the binary digit was formalized by Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz in the 17th century, though its practical application in electronic computing became widespread in the 20th century. The simplicity of the binary system makes it highly suitable for implementation in electronic circuits, as it can be reliably represented by two distinct physical states. Without the binärziffer, modern digital technology would not be possible.