How computers represent information — Technology, 11–13 years
Computers store pictures, words and numbers using tiny choices with two possible states: 0 and 1. This simple system lets electronic devices save, copy and process very different kinds of information.
Two choices can encode many things
Inside a computer, switches can be in one of two states, often called 0 and 1. Groups of these bits can stand for a number, a letter, a colour or part of a sound. The meaning comes from the agreed code, not from the bits alone.
Why use 0 and 1?
Electronic parts are good at noticing two clear conditions, such as current flowing or not flowing. A two-state code is therefore dependable even when signals are copied many times. Engineers developed digital systems to make information easier to store, process and send without gradual changes becoming mistakes.
Reading 1101
To read 1101 as a binary number, give the places values 8, 4, 2 and 1 from left to right. Keep the values under 1s: 8 + 4 + 0 + 1 = 13. So binary 1101 represents the ordinary number 13.
Thinking a bit is a whole number
A common mistake is to say that 1010 always means the number ten. It does in one agreed number code, but the same four bits could represent a colour, a letter or part of a picture in another code. Bits have no meaning until we know the format being used.
Photos and music are data too
A phone turns a photo into many tiny colour values and a recording into many measurements of sound. Those values are stored as bits, then changed back into light or sound when you view or play them. More bits can allow finer detail, but they also need more storage.
Keep exploring
Other languages
Loading MyLeoNes™…