"8 bits" refers to a unit of digital information that consists of eight binary digits, or bits. Each bit can be either a 0 or a 1, which means that 8 bits can represent a total of 256 different values (from 0 to 255). This is commonly used in computer systems to encode data, such as characters in text or colors in images. In computing, bytes are often made up of 8 bits. For example, a single ASCII character, like the letter "A," is represented by one byte, which is equivalent to 8 bits. This standardization allows for efficient data processing and storage in various digital devices, including computers and smartphones.