Final answer:
The 8-bit system can represent sixteen times as many values as the 4-bit system because 256 is sixteen times larger than 16. Each bit in a binary number doubles the number of representable values.
Step-by-step explanation:
When a school system upgrades from a 4-bit binary number system to an 8-bit binary number system, the number of unique values that can be represented increases significantly. In binary, each bit represents a power of 2, so a 4-bit system can represent
or 16 different values. An 8-bit system, however, can represent
or 256 different values.
Therefore, the correct answer to the question is a. the 8-bit system will be able to represent sixteen times as many values as the 4-bit system. This is because 256 (the number of values in an 8-bit system) is sixteen times greater than 16 (the number of values in a 4-bit system).
The basic unit of computer memory is the byte, which is equivalent to 8 bits. The unit for one million bytes is a megabyte.