In a database, if each studentID is 8 bits and the school runs out of IDs, what should they do?

Increasing the studentID to 9 bits is a practical solution when the current 8-bit system runs out of unique IDs. An 8-bit identifier can represent a maximum of 256 unique values (ranging from 0 to 255). By switching to a 9-bit identifier, the number of possible unique IDs increases to 512, effectively doubling the available options. This approach allows the school to accommodate more students without needing to overhaul the entire ID system or implement more complex solutions.

The other options may not adequately resolve the problem. While changing to a 16-bit ID would increase the number of unique IDs to 65,536, it may be excessive for the school's current needs and could complicate systems that were initially designed with 8 bits in mind. Introducing a system for reusing IDs could lead to confusion and complications, especially if there isn't a clear way to track which IDs are currently in use and which are now free. Finally, utilizing less than 8 bits would restrict the number of possible IDs even further, exacerbating the initial problem. Thus, increasing the bit count to 9 is the most efficient and effective solution.