If a binary search is performed on an array of size 16, how many comparisons wil
Practice Questions
Q1
If a binary search is performed on an array of size 16, how many comparisons will be made in the worst case?
4
8
16
5
Questions & Step-by-Step Solutions
If a binary search is performed on an array of size 16, how many comparisons will be made in the worst case?
Step 1: Understand that binary search works on a sorted array by repeatedly dividing the search interval in half.
Step 2: Know that the maximum number of comparisons needed in binary search is determined by how many times you can divide the array size by 2 until you reach 1.
Step 3: Calculate log base 2 of the array size. In this case, the array size is 16.
Step 4: Use the formula log2(16). Since 16 is 2 raised to the power of 4 (2^4 = 16), log2(16) equals 4.
Step 5: Conclude that in the worst case, binary search will make 4 comparisons.
Binary Search – A search algorithm that finds the position of a target value within a sorted array by repeatedly dividing the search interval in half.
Logarithmic Complexity – The time complexity of binary search is O(log n), which indicates that the number of comparisons grows logarithmically with the size of the array.
