Understanding Bits and Bytes

One of the first concepts covered in computer science class is the bit. We've come to know that it represents either a one or a zero, but what does this really mean? How do our computers process these ones and zeros to give us the functionalities we have today? 

No worries, that's what part 1 of this post will help with!

Alright-- So we know that bits work like switches: on or off. The on state is represented by a one, in real life, this corresponds to the presence of some voltage beyond a certain threshold.  The off is, similarly, represented by a zero. 

Ok great this means we can represent two states with one bit. That's great if we spoke in binary or only used two letters to communicate with one another.

What if we add more bits together? Well, now we have quite a few combinations of ones and zeros. If you start to draw out the possible combinations you'll notice that we can have many states: 2^(number of bits) to be exact. 

Source: http://www.freesoft.org/CIE/Topics/19.htm

A byte is a group of bits. Of course, you can also say you have a 4-bit number or an 8-bit number and so on. (For terminologies sake, in case you were curious).

Anyway, with so many bits, we can represent the alphabet and make sentences or strings as its commonly called in the field. The goes the other way as well: imagine writing some code or a program, our text gets manipulated and processed into groups of bits for parts of the CPU (the brain of the computer) to execute the various logic commands.

That's the basics of bits and bytes for now. Leave me a comment, was this helpful? What would you like to learn about next?

You Might Also Like:

4 things I learned in 2017

This year I gained perspective and courage, enough so to start my blog. Beyond that though I learned important lessons that I want to capture and highlight. These were thoughts I struggled with and learned more about and so I hope it becomes a tool for the future and for others to gain perspective on as well. So here goes:

1. Independence is a virtue: Taking the initiative to work on the things that you can do for yourself is an important skill to have. Be proud of that strength, and don’t take crap for it! Sometimes being independent means others are less inclined to help or be true to you, despite that you are still awesome.

2. Let others inspire you: I put so much stress on myself to be creative and inspired to complete and thrive on committed tasks. Creativity won’t always be able to come from within yourself, let others inspire you and you may find yourself doing better work.

3. Don't forget what you're working for: I had more and more goals being in my last year of university. Each new opportunity made me fantasize about my future. In your fantasies don’t forget the reasons why you’re working hard.

4. Everyone is different: Appreciate that others have different backgrounds and ways of solving problems. Also, don’t be afraid to learn more about others! Assuming positive intent can mean the world to someone.

These are my four lessons from 2017.