Bit is the smallest unit of information in computing and digital systems.

The term bit is a contraction of the English words BInary digiT (binary digit). It represents a single value that can only be 0 or 1.

Think of it as the representation of a light switch:

• 1 = On

• 0 = Off

All digital information, from a single letter in a text to a second of high-resolution audio, is stored and processed as a vast sequence of bits. To represent more complex information, the bits are grouped. The most common grouping is 8 bits, which forms a byte.