Question

What is a NOR gate?

Answer 1

A NOR gate is a fundamental digital logic gate that performs a specific logical operation. It takes two or more input signals and produces a single output based on the NOR (NOT OR) operation. The NOR gate is called a universal gate because it can be used to implement all other logic gates, such as AND, OR, and NOT gates.

The truth table for a 2-input NOR gate is as follows:

Input A    Input B    Output
0    0    1
0    1    0
1    0    0
1    1    0

The output of a NOR gate is 1 (HIGH) only when both of its inputs are 0 (LOW). In other words, if any of the inputs is 1, the output will be 0.

The symbol for a NOR gate is typically represented as an OR gate with a small circle at its output, indicating the inversion or NOT operation.

markdown
Copy code
   ____       ____
A |    |     |    |
--| NOR|-----|    |
B |____|     |____|
     Output


In digital circuits and computer systems, NOR gates are used for various purposes, such as creating memory elements, flip-flops, and implementing other complex logic functions. NOR gates are a crucial building block in the design and construction of digital systems.