Month: January 2022

Binary

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UNDERSTANDING BINARY NUMBERS

Most of us are used to representing numbers with ten digits, 0-9. This is called a base ten number system. Binary is a base two number system. This means there are only two digits that are used, ones and zeros, yet you can still write any number in binary. When counting in binary, every digit from the left is worth double the previous digit, here is an example:

Value 16 8 4 2 1
Place 5th digit 4th digit 3rd digit 2nd digit 1st digit

The value of each digit is included in a number if in that place is a one, however if a zero is in that place the value of that number is not included. Using this you can see that if I were to write 01010 it would be equivalent to writing the number 10 because I am using the eights place and the twos place, 8+2=10.

Value 16 8 4 2 1
Binary Number 0 1 0 1 0
Numbers Included in Binary Number 0 8 0 2 0

Here are some more examples of how to write different numbers in binary:

Number Representation in Binary
One 00001
Two 00010
Three 00011
Four 00100
Five 00101
Six 00110
Seven 00111
Eight 01000
Nine 01001
Ten 01010
Eleven 01011
Twelve 01100
Thirteen 01101
Fourteen 01110
Fifteen 01111
Sixteen 10000

HOW CHARACTERS ARE REPRESENTED IN BINARY

Using the first 8 digits in binary you can create numbers 0 through 255. There are also exactly 255 symbols you can type on he computer, including letters, numbers, punctuation marks, and more. Every binary number 1-255 represents its own symbol. Here is a website that lists all the symbols that can be represented with binary.

HOW BLACK AND WHITE IMAGES ARE REPRESENTED IN BINARY

Black and white images can be represented in binary by simply identifying which pixels in each row are on, and which are off. Every pixel in an image is either on or off. To represent this in binary ones are on and zeros are off. To find what pixels are on in a row you can count the number of pixels that are off in a row and then how many are on. So if an image had a row that looked like this: 000110, it could be represented by writing 3,2 in binary because there are three pixels that are off on the left fallowed by two pixels that are on.

HOW COLORED IMAGES ARE REPRESENTED IN BINARY

Colored images can be represented in binary almost the same as black and white images. When finding the color of the pixel, 0 still represents white, or off, but 1 and every other number in binary has its own color assigned to it. For example 01 (or 1) is blue, 10 (or 2) is green, and 11 (or 3) is red.

HOW AUDIO IS REPRESENTED IN BINARY

Audio can be represented in binary by using a microphone that can convert sound waves into voltages. Then the voltages can be checked at regular intervals and the voltage value can be converted into a binary number. This series of binary numbers can then be saved as a sound file and can be recreated at anytime by turning the numbers back into their original voltages which can make speakers or headphones vibrate so they recreate the sound.

Parts of a Computer

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There are many parts of a computer, all with different purposes that make the computer do different things so that it works. Here are some of the main components of a computer that make it work.

Computer Part Its Purpose Image
Hard Drive Where all your permanent computer data is stored. Whenever you save a file, photo, or software to your computer, it’s stored in your hard drive.

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Power Supply Converts the alternating high voltage current (AC) into direct current (DC), and they also regulate the DC output voltage to the fine tolerances required for modern computing components.

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Motherboard Circuit board that connects all of your hardware to your processor, distributes electricity from your power supply, and defines the types of storage devices, memory modules, and graphics cards.

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Random Access Memory (RAM) Computer’s short-term memory, which it uses to handle all active tasks and apps.

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Central Processing Unit (CPU) Retrieves and executes instructions. Also Performs arithmetic operations, logic operations, and related operations, according to the program instructions.

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Heat Sink Increases the heat flow away from a hot device.

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Capacitor Two or sets of two conductive plates with a thin insulator between them and wrapped in a ceramic and plastic container. Stores electricity in a circuit. When a motherboard capacitor fails the computer will no longer boot.

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Resistor Limits or regulates the flow of electrical current in an electronic circuit. Resistors can also be used to provide a specific voltage for an active device.

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Integrated Circuit Chip (IC) Small chip that can function as an amplifier, oscillator, timer, microprocessor, or even computer memory. An IC is a small wafer, usually made of silicon, that can hold anywhere from hundreds to millions of transistors, resistors, and capacitors.

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transistor Binary switch and the fundamental building block of computer circuitry. Like a light switch on the wall, the transistor either prevents or allows current to flow through.

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