Introduction to Information Technology in Business
Binary Information
Information Technology: How It Works
Digital Information and that circuits are either ON or OFF. The transistor (a switch) is the main type of circuit control in a computer and each transistor is CLOSED or OPEN. Therefore the two states of a circuit are
In the previous lesson, Circuits & Switches, you saw that a computer is made of circuits
ON when the transistor (switch) is CLOSED and
OFF when the transistor (switch) is OPEN
This system of having only two states is called binary (from Latin binarius which means a
pair). The binary number system uses only these two states to represent numbers using 1 and 0 as symbols for ON and OFF.
So the only information a computer actually uses is .
In this system the smallest unit of digital information (one binary number) is called a which is short for .
One bit by itself is not very useful so we use them in groups of called a .
We see information on a monitor because millions of bits of information are lit up as which is short for .
Here is an example. On the left is a picture of a team of horses. On the right is the image zoomed in so that you see the individual pixels.
Every image on a monitor is made of pixels (picture elements)
Here is part of the same image enlarged to see the pixels
In a black and white image, a pixel that is lit up represents a binary 1 (or ON).
A binary 0 displays as a pixel turned OFF. How does a monitor produce a colour image?
BTT 1O1—Unit 1 Lesson 7: Digital Information 14
Introduction to Information Technology in Business
Learning Activity
Visit our class Webpage at http://www.rbvweb.net/
Click on the BTT 1O1 link
Under the heading
Introduction to Computer Hardware, click this the link to The Journey Inside
Select the Digital Information tab
Explore each of the lessons and complete these learning activities:
Digital Literacy: The Language of Machines
Computers contain millions of Click here to enter text.
microscopic electronic switches that turn on and off millions of times a second to create the computer experience you're having right now.
What part of a circuit is a transistor? Choose an item.
(HINT: look back at the previous lesson: 1-6:Circuits and Switches)
Word Watch
Transistor: click the word and copy the meaning here
Discover more about computer technology by following these links
BTT 1O1—Unit 1 Lesson 7: Digital Information 15
Introduction to Information Technology in Business
Lesson 1: What Is Binary Code?
What is binary code? Explain briefly in your own words:
Word Watch
Binary: click the word and copy the meaning here
Lesson 2: A Bit of This and a Bit of That
What is the only language a computer knows?
What do you call one of these 0s or 1s?
Word Watch
Execute:
Bit:
BTT 1O1—Unit 1 Lesson 7: Digital Information 16
Introduction to Information Technology in Business
Lesson 3: How Computers Work with Pictures
Picture this. A computer is made up of millions of electronic _______________ (transistors).
They're either ______ or ______, open or closed.
Word Watch
Pixel:
Complete Activity 1: Work and Play With Pictures.
Show the teacher when you are finished teacher’s initials
Lesson 4: Binary Numbers
How many symbols does binary have? __________
What are the symbols? ______________________
It is a Base ______ number system.
What is the name of our number system?
______________________________
How many symbols does this base ____ system have? _____
What are the symbols?
_________________________________________________________
Watch the animation at the bottom of the page and complete this table of the binary numbers:
Binary
0000
0001
Decimal
0
1
2
3
4
Binary
0111
Decimal
5
6
7
8
9
BTT 1O1—Unit 1 Lesson 7: Digital Information 17
Introduction to Information Technology in Business
Lesson 4: Activity 1: Decimal and Binary Numbers
Complete Activity 1: Decimal and Binary Numbers.
Use the Decimal to Binary Converter to convert these numbers:
Decimal Binary
65 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0
72
254
Optional Lesson 5: Adding Binary Numbers
Read through this lesson on how binary numbers are added together and try Activity 1
Lesson 6: ASCII, An Alphabet For Computers
To make it easier for computers to communicate with each other, a standard language has been created: ASCII which stands for
A ______________ S _______________ C____________ for I_______________ I______________
ASCII is
Activity 1: The Name Game
Complete Activity 1: The Name Game. What is your name in ASCII?
BTT 1O1—Unit 1 Lesson 7: Digital Information 18