Question

What is a NOR gate and how does it work?

Answer 1

A NOR gate (short for NOT OR gate) is a fundamental digital logic gate used in digital circuits and computer systems. It is one of the basic building blocks in digital electronics. The NOR gate performs the logical NOR operation on two or more input signals and produces a single output signal.

The NOR gate has two or more input terminals (labeled A, B, C, etc.) and one output terminal. The output of the NOR gate is "high" (usually represented by a binary 1) only when all of its input signals are "low" (binary 0). If any of the inputs are "high," the output becomes "low."

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

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

The NOR gate's behavior can be explained in simple terms:

When both inputs (A and B) are low (0), the output is high (1).
If either input A or B (or both) is high (1), the output is low (0).

The symbol for a 2-input NOR gate looks like this:

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Copy code
       ___
A ----|   |
      | NOR|---- Output
B ----|___|


In practical applications, NOR gates are widely used to implement various logic functions, such as logical NOT, logical OR, and logical NAND gates. They are also utilized in constructing flip-flops, counters, and other more complex digital circuits.

Overall, NOR gates are essential components in digital electronics and play a crucial role in the design and functionality of modern computer systems.