Final answer:
The term for the maximum number of bits per instruction a CPU can process in one cycle is called 'word size.' It's a measure of the data size handled by the CPU per instruction and impacts the processor's efficiency.
Step-by-step explanation:
The maximum number of bits per instruction that a CPU can process during 1 machine cycle is called word size. This term reflects the data size that a CPU can handle in one operation and is directly related to the architecture of the CPU itself. For instance, a 32-bit processor has a word size of 32 bits, meaning it can process data chunks of 32 bits in a single instruction.
Comparing this to the Pentium chips mentioned, which are capable of executing more than 100 million instructions per second, the word size is indicative of what kind of tasks the processor can perform efficiently and how quickly.The maximum number of bits per instruction that a CPU can process during 1 machine cycle is called word size. The word size is the number of bits that a CPU can process at a time. It determines the maximum amount of data that the CPU can handle in a single instruction.