In what scenario does an XOR gate produce an output of HIGH?

An XOR (exclusive OR) gate produces a HIGH output when its inputs are different. This means that if one input is HIGH and the other is LOW, the output will be HIGH. The defining characteristic of an XOR gate is that it outputs a HIGH signal only when there is a difference between its inputs.

In contrast, when the inputs are the same—such as both being LOW or both being HIGH—the output will be LOW. This property makes the XOR gate useful in various digital applications, particularly in comparison operations and arithmetic circuits, where detecting differences is crucial. The situation where all inputs are HIGH, as mentioned in one of the choices, would yield a LOW output, confirming that the XOR gate indeed requires differing input states to produce a HIGH output.