bit (information)

The unit of information when the log base is 2. A coin flip carries exactly 1 bit because two equally-likely outcomes need one yes/no question to resolve. Distinct from "bit" the binary digit: a binary digit _can_ hold 1 bit, but a binary digit storing the result of a biased coin (90% heads) carries less than 1 bit on average. Information bits and storage bits are the same word for two different things.