What is the primary function of an AND gate?

An AND gate is a fundamental component in digital electronics that performs a specific logical operation. The primary function of an AND gate is to output true only when all of its inputs are true. This means that if both inputs provided to the AND gate are in the true (or high, often represented by the binary value 1) state, the output will also be true. If either of the inputs is false (or low, represented by the binary value 0), the output will be false.

This characteristic makes the AND gate essential in creating logical conditions where multiple conditions must be met simultaneously for an outcome to occur. For example, in a safety system, an AND gate could be used to ensure that two safety checks must both pass before moving forward, thereby ensuring that all critical conditions are satisfied.

In contrast, the other options describe functions that do not pertain to the AND gate. One option refers to an OR gate, which outputs true when at least one input is true. Another option discusses the addition of binary numbers, which relates to arithmetic logic rather than the basic logical operations of an AND gate. The last option pertains to latch functions, which involve memory storage rather than the logic operations AS performed by an AND gate.