Question

A particular computer has a memory address register that holds 31 bits. What is the maximum size memory this computer can have? Explain why.

a. 2³¹ bytes
b. 2³¹ bits
c. 2³² bytes
d. 2³² bits

Answer 1

The maximum size of memory that this computer can have is 2^31 bytes, or 2^28 kilobytes, or 2^25 megabytes, or 2^22 gigabytes, or 2^19 terabytes, or 2^16 petabytes.

Step-by-step explanation:

The maximum size of memory that this computer can have is 231 bytes, or 228 kilobytes, or 225 megabytes, or 222 gigabytes, or 219 terabytes, or 216 petabytes. This is because the memory address register holds 31 bits, which means it can address 231 different memory locations.

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