Final answer:
To store the number 8,000,000, you would need 24 bits, because 2^23 is the lowest power of 2 that is less than 8,000,000, and you would require one more bit to reach 8,000,000.
Step-by-step explanation:
To determine how many bits are needed to store the number 8,000,000, we need to convert this number to binary form since a bit is a basic unit of information in computing and digital communications representing two distinct states which are often interpreted as binary 0 and 1.
First, find the closest power of 2 that is equal to or larger than 8,000,000. The power of 2 that is just larger than 8,000,000 is 223, which equals 8,388,608. However, we need to represent numbers up to 8,000,000 (not exceeding), therefore:
223 is too large, but 222 is 4,194,304 which is too small. Hence, we need at least 223 plus additional bits to represent all the numbers up to 8,000,000.
By converting 8,000,000 to binary, it requires 23 bits for 223, plus one bit to represent the value of 222. Therefore, it's evident that it requires a total of 24 bits to store the number 8,000,000 which is sufficient and not wasteful for additional unnecessary bits.