Binary & Bits
The single most fundamental unit of computing data, represented as either a 0 or a 1.
What is a bit?
A single tiny dot of light on a computer display screen, short for "picture element."
What is a pixel?
Compression that reduces file size while allowing the original data to be perfectly reconstructed without losing any information.
What is lossless compression?
Automatic legal protection granted to creators of original works, giving them exclusive rights to copy, sell, and distribute their creation.
What is copyright?
The practice of hiding complex background details and mechanics so users or programmers can focus on high-level concepts.
What is abstraction?
The total number of unique values or patterns that can be represented using 4 binary bits.
What is 16?
The technique of converting continuous analog signals (like sound) into digital data by measuring the signal at regular intervals.
What is sampling?
Compression that permanently discards less noticeable details to dramatically shrink file size.
What is lossy compression?
A set of standardized public licenses that allow creators to specify which rights they keep and which rights they grant to others for free.
What is Creative Commons (CC)?
An error that occurs when a calculation produces a number that is larger than the maximum value a computer can store in its allocated bits.
What is an overflow error?
The decimal number equivalent of the binary string 1101.
What is 13?
The primary color model used by screens, which combines three colors of light at varying intensities.
What is RGB (Red, Green, Blue)?
The type of file (such as legal contracts, executable code, or medical records) where lossy compression should NEVER be used.
What is a text or code file?
The status of creative works whose copyright protection has expired or was explicitly dedicated to the public, free for anyone to use.
What is the public domain?
An error that occurs because floating-point numbers (decimals) cannot be stored with infinite precision in binary bits.
What is a roundoff/rounding error?
The 5-bit binary string that represents the decimal number 19.
What is 10011?
Real-world data that changes continuously and smoothly without discrete, stepped jumps.
What is analog data?
Popular media formats such as JPEG images or MP3 audio use this type of compression because human senses cannot notice minor data loss.
What is lossy compression?
The misconception that because an image is visible on Google Search, it automatically means this regarding copyright restrictions.
What is "free to use without permission"?
The fundamental unit of computing storage made up of exactly 8 contiguous bits.
What is a byte?
The highest decimal value that can be stored using 8 binary bits (1 byte).
What is 255?
The total number of distinct color combinations possible when a pixel uses 3 bytes (24 bits) to store RGB values.
What is about 16.7 million?
A problem-solving strategy or "rule of thumb" used when an exact optimal solution is too computationally slow or impossible to compute.
What is a heuristic?
The legal doctrine that permits limited use of copyrighted material without permission for critique, commentary, news, or educational purposes.
What is fair use?
Describe how a full-color digital photo exhibits abstraction, moving from the lowest hardware layer to what the human user sees.
What is: Binary bits (1s/0s) → Bytes (RGB values 0–255) → Individual Pixels → Complete Visual Image?