Wiki Page, AP CSP: Binary Numbers: The Raw Data by CS Unplugged

Wiki Page
2016-07-21T11:18:40-06:00

Data: the raw material— Representing information

How can we store information in computers?

The word computer comes from the Latin computare, which means to calculate or add together, but computers today are more than just giant calculators. They can be a library, help us to write, find information for us, play music and even show movies.So how do they store all this information? Believe it or not, the computer uses only two things: zero and one!

What is the difference between data and information?

Data is the raw material, the numbers that computers work with. A computer converts its data into information (words, numbers and pictures) that you and I can understand.

How can numbers, letters, words and pictures be converted into zeros and ones?

In this section we will learn about binary numbers, how computers draw pictures, how fax machines work, what is the most efficient way to store lots of data, how we can prevent errors from happening and how we measure the amount of information we are trying to store.