Question
How many states does a 3-bit binary counter have?
Answer Options
- A) 3
- B) 6
- C) 8
- D) 16
Correct Answer: C
Explanation
A binary counter is a sequence of flip-flops used to count events in digital circuits. The number of unique states a counter can sequence through is determined by the number of bits (N) used in the counter, where the total number of states is calculated as 2^N.
For a 3-bit binary counter, the number of states is 2^3. This calculation yields 2 \times 2 \times 2 = 8 possible states. These states range from 000 (decimal 0) up to 111 (decimal 7). The number of states directly determines the maximum frequency division ratio of the counter.
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