Hi there! Let’s dive into the fascinating world of computers and discover how they work using something called binary. You might have heard that computers use 1s and 0s, but what does that really mean? Let’s explore!
Inside every computer, there are tiny electric wires and circuits that carry information. Imagine you have a single wire. Electricity can either flow through it or not, which means the wire can be in one of two states: ON or OFF. This simple concept is the foundation of binary, where ON is represented by 1 and OFF by 0. Each ON or OFF state is called a “bit,” the smallest piece of data a computer can handle.
We usually count using the decimal system, which has ten digits from 0 to 9. But computers use the binary system, which only has two digits: 0 and 1. Even with just these two digits, we can count to any number! In the decimal system, each position in a number represents a power of 10, like 1s, 10s, 100s, and so on. In binary, each position represents a power of 2, such as 1s, 2s, 4s, 8s, etc.
For example, the number 9 in binary is written as 1001. To understand why, we calculate (1 x 8) + (0 x 4) + (0 x 2) + (1 x 1) = 9. Computers do this math for us, so we don’t have to worry about it!
With more wires, we can store more bits, which means we can represent larger numbers. For instance, with eight wires, we can store numbers from 0 to 255. With 32 wires, we can store numbers up to over 4 billion! But computers don’t just store numbers; they also handle text, images, and sound, all using numbers.
Think about the alphabet. We can assign a number to each letter: A could be 1, B could be 2, and so on. This way, any word or sentence can be turned into a series of numbers, which computers can store and process as electrical signals. Every word you see on a screen is represented this way!
Images on your screen are made up of tiny dots called pixels. Each pixel has a color, and each color can be represented by numbers. Since images have millions of pixels, and videos show many images per second, computers handle a lot of data to display them.
Sound is a series of vibrations in the air, which can be shown as a waveform. Each point on this waveform can be represented by a number. Higher quality sound uses more bits, like 32-bit audio, which allows for a greater range of numbers and better sound quality.
When you use a computer to write code or create apps, you might not see these 1s and 0s directly. However, everything you do with images, sound, or video relies on these simple binary numbers. They are the building blocks of how computers input, store, process, and output all kinds of information.
Isn’t it amazing how something as simple as 1s and 0s can power the incredible technology we use every day?
Let’s play a game to understand binary numbers better! Create a chart with columns labeled 1, 2, 4, 8, 16, and so on. Use small objects like coins or buttons to represent the binary digits (1s and 0s). I’ll give you a decimal number, and your task is to place the objects in the correct columns to represent that number in binary. This will help you see how binary numbers are formed.
Design a bracelet using beads to spell out your name in binary! First, convert each letter of your name into binary using an ASCII chart. Then, use two different colors of beads to represent 1s and 0s. String the beads in the order of your binary code to create a unique bracelet that spells your name in the language of computers!
Create a piece of pixel art using graph paper. Each square on the paper represents a pixel, and you can color it in to create an image. Once your art is complete, write down the binary code for each row, using 1 for a colored pixel and 0 for a blank one. This activity will show you how images are stored and displayed on computers.
Explore how sound is represented in binary by creating your own sound wave. Use a simple audio editing tool to record a short sound clip. Look at the waveform and try to understand how each point on the wave can be represented by numbers. Discuss how increasing the number of bits can improve sound quality.
Choose a short sentence and encode it into binary using an ASCII table. Write down the binary code for each character in your sentence. Then, swap your encoded message with a classmate and try to decode each other’s messages back into text. This will help you understand how computers store and process text data.
Sure! Here’s a sanitized version of the YouTube transcript:
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[Music]
[Title: HOW COMPUTERS WORK: DATA & BINARY]
Limor: Hi! My name is Limor Fried, and I’m an engineer here at Adafruit Industries. This is where I do engineering and design, focusing on circuits for fashion, music, and technology.
Federico: My name is Federico Gomez Suarez, and I’m a software developer with Microsoft Hack for Good. I explore how technology can help us address significant social issues.
[Music]
Limor: You may have heard that computers operate using 1s and 0s, or you might have seen complex visuals related to this concept. However, most people today don’t interact directly with these 1s and 0s. Nevertheless, they play a crucial role in how computers function internally.
Federico: Inside a computer, there are electric wires and circuits that carry all the information. But how do we store or represent information using electricity?
Limor: If you have a single wire with electricity flowing through it, the signal can either be ON or OFF. While this may seem limited, it’s an essential starting point. With one wire, we can represent a YES or a NO, TRUE or FALSE, a 1 or a 0, or any other binary choice. This on/off state of a single wire is called a bit, which is the smallest unit of information a computer can store. Using more wires allows for more bits, meaning more 1s and 0s, and with more bits, we can represent more complex information. To understand this better, we need to learn about the binary number system.
Federico: In the decimal number system, we have ten digits from 0 to 9, which is how we typically count. In the binary number system, we only have two digits: 0 and 1. With these two digits, we can count to any number. Here’s how it works: in the decimal system, each position in a number has a different value, such as the ones, tens, and hundreds positions. For example, a 9 in the hundreds position represents 900.
In binary, each position also carries a value, but instead of multiplying by 10, we multiply by 2. So, we have the 1s position, the 2s position, the 4s position, the 8s position, and so on. For instance, the number 9 in binary is represented as 1, 0, 0, 1. To calculate its value, we add (1 x 8) + (0 x 4) + (0 x 2) + (1 x 1). Most people don’t do this math because computers handle it for us.
What’s important is that any number can be represented using only 1s and 0s, or by a series of wires that are on or off. The more wires you use, the larger the numbers you can store.
Limor: With eight wires, you can store numbers between 0 and 255—that’s eight bits. With just 32 wires, you can store numbers from 0 to over 4 billion. Using the binary number system, you can represent any number, but what about other types of information, like text, images, or sound? It turns out that all these can also be represented with numbers.
[Music]
[Title: TEXT IN BINARY]
Limor: Consider all the letters in the alphabet. You could assign a number to each letter; for example, A could be 1, B could be 2, and so on. This way, you can represent any word or paragraph as a sequence of numbers, which can then be stored as electrical signals. Every word you see on every webpage or phone is represented using a system like this.
[Music]
[Title: IMAGES IN BINARY]
Limor: Now, let’s think about photos, videos, and all the graphics displayed on a screen. All these images are composed of tiny dots called pixels, and each pixel has a color. Each color can be represented with numbers. Considering that a typical image has millions of pixels and a typical video shows thirty images per second, we’re dealing with a substantial amount of data.
[Music]
[Title: SOUND IN BINARY]
Federico: Every sound is essentially a series of vibrations in the air. These vibrations can be graphically represented as a waveform. Any point on this waveform can be represented by a number, allowing any sound to be broken down into a series of numbers. If you want higher quality sound, you would choose 32-bit audio over 8-bit audio; more bits mean a higher range of numbers.
[Music]
Limor: When you use a computer to write code or create your own app, you’re not directly interacting with these 1s and 0s, but you will be working with images, sound, or video. To understand how computers function internally, it all comes down to these simple 1s and 0s and the electrical signals in the circuits behind them. They are the foundation of how all computers input, store, process, and output information.
[Music]
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This version maintains the content while removing any unnecessary elements.
Binary – A system of numbers using only two digits, 0 and 1, used by computers to process data. – Computers use binary code to perform calculations and store information.
Data – Information processed or stored by a computer. – The computer processes data to produce meaningful results.
Computer – An electronic device that can store, retrieve, and process data. – My computer helps me complete my homework and play games.
Bit – The smallest unit of data in a computer, represented by a 0 or 1 in binary code. – A bit is the basic building block of all digital information.
Numbers – Symbols or words used to represent quantities, often used in programming for calculations. – In coding, numbers are used to perform mathematical operations.
Pixels – The smallest unit of a digital image or display, often used to measure screen resolution. – The image on the screen is made up of thousands of tiny pixels.
Sound – Audio data that can be processed and played by a computer. – The computer can play sound files like music and voice recordings.
Information – Data that is organized and processed to be meaningful and useful. – The internet is a vast source of information on many topics.
Code – A set of instructions written in a programming language that a computer can execute. – I wrote a code to create a simple game on my computer.
Electricity – A form of energy that powers computers and other electronic devices. – Without electricity, my computer would not be able to function.
