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Lesson 1 - Bits and Bytes

The document discusses how all data in computers is digital and represented by binary numbers made up of 1s and 0s. The smallest unit of information is a bit, which represents a single 1 or 0 electronic signal. Multiple bits - usually 8 - form a byte, which can store a single character. Computer storage is measured in bytes and words refer to the number of bits a CPU can process at once, affecting its speed.

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72 views

Lesson 1 - Bits and Bytes

The document discusses how all data in computers is digital and represented by binary numbers made up of 1s and 0s. The smallest unit of information is a bit, which represents a single 1 or 0 electronic signal. Multiple bits - usually 8 - form a byte, which can store a single character. Computer storage is measured in bytes and words refer to the number of bits a CPU can process at once, affecting its speed.

Uploaded by

UnknownKid
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Bits and Bytes

Electronic Numbers
• All of the data in the computer is digital – made up of numbers
(1s and 0s)
• All the numbers are electronic – they are made from on/off
electrical signals.
• When we write down the numbers, we write
– 1 when the electrical signal is ‘on’
– 0 when the electrical signal is ‘off’
• All of the numbers used in the CPU are called binary numbers.
Bits
• Electronic signals in the computer can be in
two states, which represent a 1 and 0. Each
1 or 0 is called a ‘bit’.
• This is the smallest piece of information in
the computer.
• The term Bit is derived from Binary Digit
Bytes
• A group of ‘8’ bits is called a ‘byte’.
• A byte is enough computer memory to store
one symbol, letter or digit.
• A byte is a basic unit of computer memory.
Byte Contd.
• Computer Storage is measured in bytes:
• 1 Kilobyte is approximately 1024 bytes
• 1 Megabyte is approximately 1024 Kilobyte
• 1 Gigabyte is approximately 1024 Megabytes
• 1 Terabyte is approximately 1024 Gigabytes
• 1 Petabyte is approximately 1024 Terabytes
Words
A word is the number of bits that can be processed in one
action by the Central Processing Unit (CPU).
A computer with a larger ‘word’ capacity can work more
quickly.
Features of the CPU such as the registers, the bus and the
actions of the fetch-execute cycle are linked to the size of
the ‘word’.
Word Contd.
• Modern computers usually have a word size of 16, 32, or 64
bits.
• Data is stored in the processor as numbers made of
electronic signals represented by 1s and 0s.

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