Starter quiz
- People may write a message for a number of reasons. Which of these is NOT a reason to write a message?
- to send information across a long distance
- to share knowledge
- to tell a lot of people something at the same time
- to forget what is in the message ✓
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- Written messages can appear in many forms. Put these forms of writing into date order, from oldest to most recent.
- 1⇔Egyptian hieroglyphs
- 2⇔handwriting using the alphabet
- 3⇔electronic writing using a computer
- A computer can store ______ and instructions.
- 'data' ✓
- Select all the ways that a light bulb can appear.
- on ✓
- off ✓
- both on and off at the same time
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- What is the next number in this sequence: 1, 2, 4, 8…?
- '16' ✓
- What does the word 'binary' mean?
- one
- two ✓
- ten
- many
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Exit quiz
- Match the words to the correct description.
- binary⇔a number system that uses the digits 0 and 1 to represent data ✓
- data⇔raw facts, like numbers or text, presented without context or meaning ✓
- instructions⇔directions on how to carry out a specific task ✓
- transistor⇔a small electronic switch controlled by electricity ✓
- Why do computers use binary?
- Binary allows messages to be encoded so hackers can’t read them.
- It is the easiest language to program in.
- Electrical circuits use transistors that can be switched on and off. ✓
- Computers only deal with numbers.
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- What types of data can be represented by binary when stored on a computer?
- video ✓
- emotion
- light
- sound ✓
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- If 1001 represents on, off, off, on, what does 01 represent?
- 'off, on' ✓
- Write the binary number that would represent off, on, on, off, off, on, off, on. You don’t need any spaces or punctuation.
- '01100101' ✓
- Five binary digits allow 32 combinations, six binary digits allow 64 combinations. How many combinations can we represent with eight binary digits?
- 128
- 256 ✓
- 512
- 1024
-
Worksheet
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Video
Lesson Details
Key learning points
- Computers use binary to represent all data and instructions.
- Binary is a number system consisting of 1s and 0s.
- Binary can be represented by two-state electrical signals within circuits.
- A transistor that is “on” represents a 1; a transistor that is “off” represents a 0.
Common misconception
Computers use binary for data and instructions but they can use other number systems just as easily.
Computers have to use binary as they are powered by electrical circuits which contain transistors which can be switched on and off using electricity. Using other number systems would require more complex circuitry.
Keywords
Data - raw facts, such as numbers or text, presented without any meaning
Binary - a number system that uses the digits 0 and 1 to represent data
Instruction - directions on how to carry out a specific task
Transistor - a tiny electronic switch controlled by electricity.
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