Final answer:
An octet in an IP address can represent decimal numbers ranging from 0 to 255, due to its 8-bit binary composition.
Step-by-step explanation:
A single octet in an IP address represents a range of decimal numbers from 0 to 255. This is because an octet is made up of 8 bits, and each bit can be either a 0 or a 1. Therefore, the smallest number an octet can represent is 00000000 in binary, which is 0 in decimal, and the largest number is 11111111, which is 255 in decimal.