Unit 1 - Digital Information Flashcards
binary numbers use base-2 with only two digits
0 & 1
byte
8 bits
in binary, each position represents
a power of 2
why do computers and digital devices use binary (base-2) numbers
because they operate with two discrete states, represented as 0 (off) and 1 (on)
decimal number
base-10 number with 10 possible digits
bit
a contraction of “BInary DigIT”; the single unit of information in a computer, typically represented as a 0 or 1
to find how many distinct numerical values can be represented with x bits
2^x
to find the largest value that can be represented by # bits
2^# - 1
overflow error
error from attempting to represent a number that is too large
- occurs when the number is too larger given the number of bits that exist
round off error
Error from attempting to represent a number that is too precise. The value is rounded.
floating point representation
- a number is multiplied by a base that’s raised to an exponent
- numbers that aren’t integers, like fractions and irrational numbers use this
- can’t fully represent all numbers
analog data
- data with values that change continuously, or smoothly, over time
- examples of analog data: music, colors of a painting, or position of a sprinter during a race
digital data
- date that changes discretely through a finite set of possible values
sampling
a process for creating a digital representation of analog data by measuring that analog data at regular intervals called samples
abstraction
we create simplified representations of something more complex; a way of hiding information
