Which of the following best describes a byte's capacity?

A byte is a fundamental unit of digital information storage in computing, typically composed of 8 bits. Each bit can represent one of two values: 0 or 1. Therefore, the total number of distinct values that can be represented by a byte is calculated by raising 2 to the power of the number of bits in a byte.

In this case, since a byte consists of 8 bits, the calculation is 2^8, which equals 256. This means a single byte can represent 256 different combinations of bits, ranging from 00000000 (which represents the decimal value 0) to 11111111 (which represents the decimal value 255). Consequently, the correct answer accurately reflects the capacity of a byte.

Understanding this concept is crucial as it lays the groundwork for comprehending larger data structures and the overall architecture of how data is represented in computer systems.