In a computer, all dataUnits of information. In computing there can be different data types, including integers, characters and Boolean. Data is often acted on by instructions. is stored in binaryA number system that contains two symbols, 0 and 1. Also known as base 2. form. A binary digit has two possible states, 1 and 0.
A binary digit is known as a bitThe smallest unit of data in computing represented by a 1 in binary.. A bit is the smallest unit of data a computer can use. The binary unit system is used to describe bigger numbers too.
Eight bits are known as a byteA unit of data containing 8 bits..
The binary unit system is as follows:
Size
Unit
4 bits
1 nibble
8 bits
1 byte (B)
1,000 bytes (1,000 B)
1 kilobyte (KB)
1,000 kilobytes (1,000 KB)
1 megabyte (MB)
1,000 megabytes (1,000 MB)
1 gigabyte (GB)
1,000 gigabytes (1,000 GB)
1 terabyte (TB)
1,000 terabytes (1,000 TB)
1 petabyte (PB)
Size
4 bits
Unit
1 nibble
Size
8 bits
Unit
1 byte (B)
Size
1,000 bytes (1,000 B)
Unit
1 kilobyte (KB)
Size
1,000 kilobytes (1,000 KB)
Unit
1 megabyte (MB)
Size
1,000 megabytes (1,000 MB)
Unit
1 gigabyte (GB)
Size
1,000 gigabytes (1,000 GB)
Unit
1 terabyte (TB)
Size
1,000 terabytes (1,000 TB)
Unit
1 petabyte (PB)
Analogue data and digital data
Analogue data is a real-life signal that can vary greatly in value. Examples include:
sound waves
pressure
temperature
Digital data is binary data which represents analogue data. Computers work with digital data. Analogue data must be converted to digital before a computer can use it. A device known as an analogue-to-digital convertor (ADC) is used to generate digital data from analogue signals. In the same way, a digital signal can be converted back to an analogue signal using a digital-to-analogue convertor (DAC).
