Information Representation in a Computer
Explore how computers store and represent various forms of data using binary, including numbers, text, and images. Understand binary bits, ASCII and Unicode character encoding, and how images are mapped to binary values. This lesson builds fundamental knowledge essential for grasping data representation in computer systems and programming.
All the data in a computer, such as numbers, text, and images, is stored in binary. Binary is a number system. It has two digits: one and zero.
A binary digit is called a bit.
We will now explain how a computer stores different forms of data in binary.
Representing numbers in binary
A bit can have two values: zero or one. A bit is said to be on if it has a value of one, and it is said to be off if it has a value of zero. To represent a number greater than one, you can use a collection of bits.
In the illustration below, notice that each number is twice the number to its right.
Each number in the boxes above is represented by a bit. Suppose we have 1001 in binary. 1001 in binary means that the bit corresponding to 8 is on, the bits corresponding to 4 ...