What binary term describes the amount of data that represents a single character in a file?

The term that describes the amount of data representing a single character in a file is a byte. A byte typically consists of eight bits and is the standard unit of measurement for data in computing. It can represent a variety of values, including characters in text files, due to its ability to store 256 different values (0-255), which is sufficient to encompass standard ASCII characters.

A bit, representing a binary digit (0 or 1), is too small to represent a single character. A nibble is composed of four bits and is also insufficient for representing most characters alone. A word, which may vary in size depending on the architecture of the computer (often 16, 32, or 64 bits), is generally used to represent larger data types rather than a single character. Therefore, a byte is the correct and most common term used in this context.