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Extra exam question E7F06

Subelement E7, PRACTICAL CIRCUITS· Group E7F

E7F06

What is the minimum number of bits required to sample a signal with a range of 1 volt at a resolution of 1 millivolt?

  • A.4 bits
  • B.6 bits
  • C.8 bits
  • D.10 bits (correct answer)

WhySampling a signal with a range of 1 volt at a resolution of 1 millivolt requires a minimum of 10 bits. Resolving a 1-volt range down to 1-millivolt steps requires being able to represent 1,000 distinct levels, and since 2 to the 9th power is only 512 (too few) while 2 to the 10th power is 1,024 (enough), the minimum number of bits needed is 10, answer D. 4, 6, and 8 bits provide only 16, 64, and 256 distinct levels respectively, all well short of the 1,000 levels this resolution actually requires.

Published 2026-08-28 · Last updated 2026-08-28 · Question text is verbatim from the 2024-2028 NCVEC Element 4 pool (public domain); the explanation above is original writing, see our methodology.

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