In standard character encoding schemes such as ASCII, which of the following items typically requires one byte of storage in memory?

Introduction / Context:
This question tests understanding of how text is stored in computer memory. In most traditional encoding schemes like ASCII, each character is represented by a specific number of bits, and these bits form bytes. Knowing how many bytes are used per character helps you estimate file sizes and interpret technical statements about storage. Exams at the computer fundamentals level often ask which unit of text corresponds to one byte of storage.

Given Data / Assumptions:

• The topic is storage requirements for text in character encoding schemes.
• The question asks which item requires one byte of storage.
• Options include a single character, a sentence, a page, a paragraph and a chapter.
• We assume a basic encoding model where one ASCII character maps to one byte.

Concept / Approach:
In classic ASCII encoding, one character is represented by 7 bits, but it is stored in a full byte for convenience, making one character equal to one byte of storage. Extended encodings used in many systems also map one character to one byte, although modern Unicode encodings can use more. Sentences, paragraphs, pages and chapters are made up of many characters. Therefore, they will require many bytes, not just one. When a question asks which item requires one byte, it is pointing to the smallest text unit in the list that corresponds directly to a single character code in memory.

Step-by-Step Solution:

Verification / Alternative check:
Textbooks on data representation explain that bytes are the basic addressable units of memory in many architectures and that ASCII codes fit within a single byte. Examples frequently show how strings of characters are stored as sequences of bytes, one byte per character. They often calculate the size of a short word by counting its letters and assigning one byte to each letter. Sentences and larger text elements are then analysed by adding up the bytes of all their characters. This standard explanation confirms that a single character is the correct answer for a question about one byte of storage in the context of ASCII like encodings.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:

• An entire sentence in a paragraph: Contains many characters, so it requires many bytes, not just one.
• A full page of text in a document: Pages can contain hundreds or thousands of characters, needing hundreds or thousands of bytes.
• A paragraph containing several sentences: Again, a larger unit of text with many characters.
• A complete chapter in a book: The largest text unit listed, and it requires a very large number of bytes.

Common Pitfalls:
Some learners may confuse physical units like page with digital units like byte and incorrectly think that pages have fixed byte sizes. Others may not connect the idea that characters are the fundamental units of text storage. To avoid these errors, remember that the computer stores each visible character using at least one byte in simple encodings. Larger text units are just sequences of these characters. Whenever a question asks which item requires one byte of storage, the correct answer will almost always be a single character rather than a sentence or page.

Final Answer:
In standard character encoding, one byte of storage is typically required for A single character such as A or 7.