2006-11-06 21:47:26 · 8 answers · asked by everythingfreaky 1 in Computers & Internet ➔ Hardware ➔ Other - Hardware
8 and 16 is also the multiples of 2 na??
2006-11-06 21:59:16 · update #1
Computers are based on binary (base 2)mathematics.
1 and 0, means ON or OFF.
if the power goes, it means 1 and if not, it means 0
called a BIT
Memory storage are based on tenary mathematics (base 8)
8 bit = 1 byte
eight probable combination of ON and OFF (bits) are instructions.
this is the very basis on which, everything works on a comp,,,,
remember ON and OFF,,,, (power is either ON or OFF)
2006-11-06 22:06:59 · answer #1 · answered by test 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Because a computer is basically a big adding machine. It's operation is based on a mathematics based on two, known as binomial. In this mathematics there are only two digits, "0" and "1" which makes an easy correspondence with the plus and minus of electrical current. It is the combination of an immense number of these pluses and minuses, "0's" and "1's", "yes's" and "no's" (all different expressions of this same concept) that forms the basis of the operation of modern computers.
A slightly different way of looking at it is to see each multiple of two as a separation point which leads to a "yes" or a "no." If there were only one option, no decision would be made.In other words, instead of an "either ...or" we would have an "either...either." which would be useless.
2006-11-07 06:10:15 · answer #2 · answered by Cptn. B 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Computer memory unit is usually equal to power of 2 bytes (128, 256,...) because address word of n bits long allows addressing up to 2^n information words, each word length is multiple of a byte (8 bits). For instance 8-bit address bus allows addressing 256 information words. If a word is 32-bit long, memory unit is of 1024 byte size.
2006-11-07 06:14:26 · answer #3 · answered by oleg_arch 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
1 byte = 8 bit
and 1 bit consist of data 0 or 1 (called binary)
means like on/off switch for lamp to signaling the machine
because the machine language have many signs (other than alphabet and numeric), it required combinations to accomodate them all.
so in 1 byte, it have 2^8 combinations
and it is all start from binary!
2006-11-07 06:16:22 · answer #4 · answered by J 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
actual it is the multiple of 8. because of 8 bit = 1 byte
2006-11-07 05:52:56 · answer #5 · answered by Albin 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I think you'll find it in multiples of 16.
look in: www.howthingswork.com
2006-11-07 05:51:07 · answer #6 · answered by pappy 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
i think it's because computers use binary code to store info, ie in 0's and 1's, a base two system of counting.
2006-11-07 06:06:22 · answer #7 · answered by maofallthemacs 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Because 173 Mb of RAM would just be silly....
2006-11-07 05:57:04 · answer #8 · answered by Lloyd 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋