Paper 1: Data Representation

Question 1

Binary

Answer 1

A number system using only two digits: 0 and 1. It’s the fundamental language computers understand because it represents the on/off states of electronic circuits.

Question 2

Bit

Answer 2

The smallest unit of data in a computer, representing either a 0 or a 1. Think of it as a single light switch – either on or off.

Question 3

Byte

Answer 3

A group of 8 bits. It’s a common unit for measuring data storage. For example, a single character (like a letter or number) often requires one byte of storage.

Question 4

Kilobyte (KB)

Answer 4

Approximately 1,000 bytes (actually 1024). Used to measure small file sizes, like a short document.

Question 5

Megabyte (MB)

Answer 5

Approximately 1 million bytes. Used for medium-sized files like photos or songs.

Question 6

Gigabyte (GB)

Answer 6

Approximately 1 billion bytes. Used for larger files like videos or software.

Question 7

Terabyte (TB)

Answer 7

Approximately 1 trillion bytes. Used for very large storage capacities, like hard drives or large backups.

Question 8

ASCII

Answer 8

A standard way of representing text characters (letters, numbers, symbols) using numerical codes. Each character is assigned a unique number.

Question 9

Unicode

Answer 9

A more comprehensive character encoding standard than ASCII. It can represent characters from almost all written languages in the world.

Question 10

Sampling Rate (in sound)

Answer 10

The number of times per second a sound wave is measured and recorded when converting analog sound to digital. A higher sampling rate generally results in better sound quality.

Question 11

Sample Resolution (in sound)

Answer 11

The number of bits used to represent the amplitude (loudness) of each sound sample. Higher resolution means more detail and better sound quality.

Question 12

Pixel

Answer 12

The smallest unit of a digital image or graphic that can be displayed on a screen. Think of it as a tiny dot of color.

Question 13

Color Depth (in images)

Answer 13

The number of bits used to represent the color of a single pixel. Higher color depth allows for a wider range of colors.

Question 14

Resolution (in images)

Answer 14

The number of pixels in an image, often expressed as width x height (e.g., 1920x1080). Higher resolution means more detail in the image.

Question 15

Lossy Compression

Answer 15

A data compression technique that permanently removes some data to reduce file size. This can result in a loss of quality, but the file becomes much smaller (e.g., JPEG for images, MP3 for audio).

Question 16

Lossless Compression

Answer 16

A data compression technique that reduces file size without losing any original data. The original data can be perfectly reconstructed (e.g., ZIP files, PNG for some images).