Final answer:
An IPv6 address consists of 128 bits, or 16 bytes (octets), presented in hexadecimal format across eight groups of 4 digits each. This extended addressing scheme allows for a greater number of devices to connect to the internet.
Step-by-step explanation:
An IPv6 address consists of 128 bits, which is equivalent to 16 bytes (or octets). Unlike IPv4 addresses which are 32 bits in length and presented in decimal format, IPv6 addresses are presented in hexadecimal format. This expanded size allows for a dramatic increase in the number of available addresses, which is critical for the growing number of devices connected to the internet.
To make it easier to understand, an IPv6 address is divided into eight groups. Each group is composed of 4 hexadecimal digits (each hexadecimal digit represents 4 bits). Therefore, with 8 groups of 4 hexadecimal digits, the total is 8 x 16 = 128 bits. And since there are 8 bits in a byte, we have 128 / 8, which gives us 16 octets in a full IPv6 address.