In a binary number, which bit has the highest weight and current?

In a binary number, the bit that has the highest weight is the Most Significant Bit (MSB). This is because in a binary numbering system, each bit represents a power of two, with the leftmost bit representing the highest power and thus having the greatest impact on the overall value of the number.

For example, in an 8-bit binary number, the MSB is the first bit on the left, which represents 2 raised to the power of 7, or 128 in decimal. As you proceed to the right, each subsequent bit represents a lower power of two, decreasing in significance. The position of the MSB is critical in determining the maximum possible value of the binary number, making it the bit with the highest weight.

In contrast, the Least Significant Bit (LSB) represents the smallest value (2 raised to the power of 0, or 1), and while it certainly contributes to the total value, it does so to a much lesser extent than the MSB. The other options, such as Least Significant Byte and Greatest Significant Byte, do not accurately represent the concept of significance in individual bits, as they refer to groups of bits or bytes rather than specific bits' importance in value determination.