To determine how many different characters Unicode can represent using 2 bytes, we will explore the concept of binary representation.
1. Understanding Bytes and Bits:
- A byte consists of 8 bits. Therefore, 2 bytes consist of 16 bits (since [tex]\(2 \times 8 = 16\)[/tex]).
2. Calculating the Number of Different Characters:
- Each bit can be either 0 or 1, giving us 2 possible states per bit.
- When we have 16 bits, the total number of possible combinations (and thus different characters) can be calculated as [tex]\(2^{16}\)[/tex].
3. Simplifying [tex]\(2^{16}\)[/tex]:
- We know that [tex]\(2^{10} = 1024\)[/tex].
- Therefore, [tex]\(2^{16} = 2^{10} \times 2^6 = 1024 \times 64 = 65536\)[/tex].
Hence, using 2 bytes, Unicode can represent [tex]\(2^{16}\)[/tex] different characters, which equals 65536 characters.
Among the given options, the correct answer is:
E. [tex]\(\quad 2^{16}\)[/tex]
