# The Humble Nand Gate

By [Boredom101](https://paragraph.com/@boredom101) · 2022-05-05

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What is a Logic Gate?
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Computers are made up of **logic gates**. These components contain a number of inputs and an output based on those inputs, both of these things are typically **binary**. This means that they can have one of two values, like on or off, 1 or 0, high or low, true or false, etc. In order to describe the behavior of a logic gate a truth table is typically used which states the expected output for each input configuration.

**Can You Give an Example?**
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An example of a logic gate is the **nand gate**, which has the following truth table:

  

Symbol of the Nand Gate

  

So for example, the nand gate is true, unless both inputs are true.

Why are we Starting with the Nand Gate?
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Because it is one of the few gates that is a **universal gate**, which means that you can make any other type of gate using it. There are other such gates but this is the simplest to make.

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*Originally published on [Boredom101](https://paragraph.com/@boredom101/the-humble-nand-gate)*