Final answer:
The statement about a byte that is not true is that it is equivalent to a kilobyte. A kilobyte actually consists of 1024 bytes, reflecting the binary system used in computing.
Step-by-step explanation:
The answer to the question of which statement is not true about a computer byte is d) It is equivalent to a kilobyte. Let's break this down to clarify why the other options are true:
- a) A byte is composed of 8 bits. This is a fundamental concept in computing, where a bit is the most basic unit of data, representing a binary value of either 0 or 1.
- b) A byte can represent a single character. Characters in text are commonly encoded using schemes such as ASCII or UTF-8, with each character mapped to a specific byte value.
- c) A byte is the basic unit of digital information storage. In computing and digital communication, bytes are the standard units used to express the size of data files and the capacity of storage devices.
However, option d) is incorrect because a byte is not equivalent to a kilobyte. A kilobyte is made up of 1024 bytes, not just one byte. This reflects the use of binary counting in computer systems, where each larger unit is a power of 2. In fact, for the unit of one million bytes, the correct term would be megabyte (MB), not kilobyte (KB).