Which statement is true about 1's complement representation?

Which statement is true about 1's complement representation?

• A. It has two representations for zero
• B. It has a single representation for zero
• C. It cannot represent negative numbers
• D. It uses sign magnitude

Answer: (A)

In 1's complement, negative numbers are formed by flipping every bit of the corresponding positive value, so zero can appear in two ways: all zeros for +0 and all ones for -0. Since the bitwise inversion of zero yields -0, there are two representations for zero in this scheme. That’s why the statement about having two representations is true. It does support negative numbers because flipping bits creates the negative equivalents of positives. The idea that it has a single representation for zero or that it uses sign magnitude isn’t correct here—the sign-magnitude approach keeps a separate sign and magnitude, while 1's complement relies on bitwise inversion to encode negatives.

In 1's complement, negative numbers are formed by flipping every bit of the corresponding positive value, so zero can appear in two ways: all zeros for +0 and all ones for -0. Since the bitwise inversion of zero yields -0, there are two representations for zero in this scheme. That’s why the statement about having two representations is true. It does support negative numbers because flipping bits creates the negative equivalents of positives. The idea that it has a single representation for zero or that it uses sign magnitude isn’t correct here—the sign-magnitude approach keeps a separate sign and magnitude, while 1's complement relies on bitwise inversion to encode negatives.