What is the maximum decimal value that can be represented by a byte?

A byte consists of 8 bits, and each bit can represent a binary value of either 0 or 1. The total number of unique combinations that can be formed with 8 bits is 2 raised to the power of 8, which equals 256. This includes all values from 0 to 255.

When considering the maximum decimal value represented by a byte in an unsigned format (where all bits are used to represent positive values), the range starts at 0 and goes up to 255. Therefore, the highest decimal value that can be represented by a byte is indeed 255, which corresponds to the binary value of 11111111.

In a signed format (for example, using two's complement), the range would be from -128 to +127, but since the question is asking for the maximum decimal value for a byte without specifying whether it's signed or unsigned, the context typically assumes unsigned. Hence, 255 is the maximum value that a byte can represent.