The correct statement about a long integer is:
it uses more than 32 bits
In many programming languages, a "long" integer typically uses at least 64 bits. Here’s a clarification on the other options:
- it has a maximum of 17 bits: This is incorrect; long integers can have more than 17 bits.
- it has a decimal: This is misleading; while long integers can represent decimal values when converted to a string or printed out, they are inherently whole numbers and do not have decimal components.
- it uses only 1s and 0s: This describes how all binary data, including integers, is represented at the hardware level, but it does not specifically define long integers.
So, the first option is the true statement about long integers.