1. Data Representation
IGCSE Computer Science (0478)
  • Data Representation
    • Introduction
    • Why computers use binary (how binary represents data)
    • Number system
      • Introduction
      • Number Conversions
      • Addition of Binary Numbers
      • Logical binary shifts (positive 8-bit integers)
      • Two’s Complement (Signed: Positive and Negative Numbers)
      • Use of the Hexadecimal System
    • Text, Sound and Image
      • Text, Sound and Images
      • File Types
    • Data storage and File compression
      • Measurement of the Size of Computer Memories
      • Lossless and Lossy File Compression
  1. Data Representation

Introduction

Computers don’t understand Hindi, English, pictures or music directly.
Inside, they only understand a simple language made of 1 and 0 — called binary.
Just like a switch can be ON (1) or OFF (0), every piece of information in a computer is stored in this form — whether it’s a WhatsApp message, a Bollywood song, or a selfie.
In this chapter you will learn:
Number systems: Decimal (Denary), Binary, and Hexadecimal
How to change numbers from one system to another
How computers store positive & negative numbers
How text, sound, and images are stored
How file sizes are measured and why we compress data
By the end, you will know the language of computers and how your phone or laptop stores everything you see and hear.
Modified at 2025-08-11 05:53:24
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