Binary

Question 1

What do the states of a light bulb represent in binary?

Answer 1

On is one, off is zero

This analogy illustrates the binary system using simple on/off states.

Question 2

How many bits are represented by eight light bulbs?

Answer 2

Eight bits

Each light bulb represents one bit, which can be either on (1) or off (0).

Question 3

What historical device used punch cards to control mechanical processes?

Answer 3

Jacquard’s loom

The loom utilized punch cards with holes to dictate weaving patterns.

Question 4

What does a hole in a punch card signify in binary?

Answer 4

One

A hole represents an ‘on’ state, while no hole represents a ‘zero’ or ‘off’ state.

Question 5

What modern technology replaces punch cards for binary representation?

Answer 5

Transistors

Transistors use electrical signals to represent binary states.

Question 6

How does a transistor denote a ‘one’ in binary?

Answer 6

By having an electric voltage

An absence of voltage denotes a ‘zero’.

Question 7

What is the purpose of logic gates in computer systems?

Answer 7

To perform complex tasks and decide where to send electrical signals

Logic gates enable transistors to operate based on logical conditions.

Question 8

What happens if two light switches in a room are poorly designed?

Answer 8

One switch could turn on the light while the other does not turn it off

This analogy illustrates the need for proper design in logic systems.

Question 9

What will be discussed later in the course regarding programming?

Answer 9

How to turn human-readable instructions into zeros and ones

This process is crucial for programming and is facilitated by compilers.

Question 10

Fill in the blank: Binary is a foundational concept based on the states of _______.

Answer 10

[on and off]

This binary system underpins all computing processes.