Hash outputs produced by a hashing algorithm are always fixed in length.

• A. TRUE
• B. FALSE
• C. Sometimes
• D. Depends on input

Answer: (A)

Hash outputs produced by a hashing algorithm are always fixed in length. This happens because cryptographic hash functions are designed to map inputs of any size to a digest of a predetermined size. The fixed-length digest is what makes hashes so useful: you can store, compare, and sign these compact fingerprints regardless of how large the original data is. For example, SHA-256 always yields 256 bits (32 bytes), while other common hashes have their own fixed sizes (SHA-1 is 160 bits, MD5 is 128 bits). The input length can be anything, but the resulting hash length remains the same, which is essential for consistent processing and storage. If the output length varied with input, it would undermine efficient comparisons and fixed-size representations.