XOR gate characteristic: An exclusive-OR (XOR) gate asserts HIGH only when exactly one— but not both— of its two inputs is HIGH. Evaluate this behavior statement.

Introduction / Context:
The XOR gate is ubiquitous in arithmetic (adders), parity generation/checking, and data comparison. It outputs true when the inputs differ and false when they are the same, making it the digital equivalent of “either/or but not both.”

Given Data / Assumptions:

• Two-input XOR gate with ideal Boolean behavior.
• Input symbols: A and B. Output: Y.
• Truth table basis rather than analog timing effects.

Concept / Approach:
The XOR function can be written as Y = A XOR B = A*~B + ~A*B. This indicates Y is 1 when A ≠ B and 0 when A = B. Therefore, Y is HIGH if exactly one input is HIGH, and LOW if both are LOW or both are HIGH.

Step-by-Step Solution:

Verification / Alternative check:
In parity logic, XOR of a set of bits returns 1 when the number of 1s is odd. For two inputs, an odd count occurs only when exactly one input is 1, reinforcing the result.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:
“Incorrect” contradicts the truth table. Hardware styles (open-collector, CMOS, TTL) and rise-time details do not change the Boolean mapping.

Common Pitfalls:
Confusing XOR with OR (which is true when any input is 1, including both); forgetting that XOR is addition modulo 2.

Final Answer:
Correct