What is bit depth?
It’s important to understand what a bit is at this point. A bit, short for “Binary Digit,” is the smallest unit for representing digital data. A bit can have one of two values, typically represented as 0 or 1.
Bits serve as the basic unit for representing information in computer systems. Using binary code, various types of data such as numbers, characters, images, and sounds can be represented. For example, an 8-bit binary code can express 256 different values through an 8-digit number composed of 0s and 1s.
Bits play a vital role in the basic data processing and communication in computer systems. Combining multiple bits allows for the representation of more complex data, and the number of bits affects the range and precision of the data. The more bits used, the higher the number of value combinations and the greater the precision.
For example, 8-bit can represent 2^8 (256) different values, ranging from numbers 0 to 255, alphabets, and symbols. Similarly, 16-bit can represent 2^16 (65536) values, and 32-bit can represent 2^32 (about 4.3 billion) values.