Data Representation
Overview
A photograph, a song and a paragraph of text look nothing alike, yet a computer stores all three the same way: as binary digits. The difference is entirely in how those digits are agreed to be interpreted, letter by letter for text, pixel by pixel for an image, sample by sample for sound.
In this lesson you will learn how characters are encoded using ASCII and Unicode, how a bitmap image's resolution and colour depth determine its uncompressed file size, how an analogue sound wave is converted into binary using sampling, and why the number of bits available always limits how faithful any of these digital representations can be.
Objectives
- Understand how computers encode characters using ASCII and Unicode
- Understand how bitmap images are represented in binary (pixels, resolution, colour depth)
- Understand how sound, an analogue signal, is represented in binary
- Understand the limitations of binary representation of data (sampling frequency, resolution) when constructed by the number of available bits
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Flashcards
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Lesson Note
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Lesson Evaluation
Congratulations on completing the lesson on Data Representation. Now that youve explored the key concepts and ideas, its time to put your knowledge to the test. This section offers a variety of practice questions designed to reinforce your understanding and help you gauge your grasp of the material.
You will encounter a mix of question types, including multiple-choice questions, short answer questions, and essay questions. Each question is thoughtfully crafted to assess different aspects of your knowledge and critical thinking skills.
Use this evaluation section as an opportunity to reinforce your understanding of the topic and to identify any areas where you may need additional study. Don't be discouraged by any challenges you encounter; instead, view them as opportunities for growth and improvement.
- The upper-case letter 'A' has the ASCII code 65. What is the ASCII code of the lower-case letter 'a'? A) 33 B) 66 C) 97 D) 129 Answer: C
- An image is 100 pixels wide, 50 pixels tall, and uses a colour depth of 8 bits. What is its uncompressed file size in bits? A) 4 000 B) 8 000 C) 40 000 D) 400 000 Answer: C
- Which setting controls how many amplitude levels a single digital audio sample can be stored as? A) Sample rate B) Bit depth C) Number of channels D) File format Answer: B
- A recording is made with too low a sample rate. What is the most likely effect on the digital recording? A) The file becomes larger than expected B) Rapid changes in the original sound are missed C) The recording gains extra colour depth D) The recording becomes louder Answer: B
- What is the main reason Unicode was developed alongside ASCII? A) To make text files smaller B) To represent far more characters than ASCII can, covering the world's writing systems and symbols C) To replace binary with a new number system D) To increase a computer's sample rate Answer: B
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