Question

What is a NOT gate and how is it represented in Boolean logic?

Answer 1

A NOT gate, also known as an inverter, is a fundamental logic gate in Boolean logic and digital electronics. Its main function is to take in a single binary input (0 or 1) and output the opposite value. In other words, if the input is 0, the output will be 1, and if the input is 1, the output will be 0.

The NOT gate can be represented using various symbols and notations in Boolean logic. The most common symbols used to represent a NOT gate are:

The standard symbol:

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Input ----| NOT |---- Output


The symbol with a small circle at the output:

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Input ----| NOT |O---- Output


The symbol with a small circle at the input:

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Input O----| NOT |---- Output


The Boolean expression for a NOT gate can be written using logical notation as follows:

Output = NOT(Input) = ~Input

Here, "~" represents the NOT operation.

The truth table for a NOT gate is as follows:

Input    Output
0    1
1    0

NOT gates are fundamental building blocks in digital circuits and play a crucial role in performing logical operations and signal inversion. They are often used in combination with other logic gates to create more complex logic functions and circuits.