← ACARA Digital Technologies Years 5–6

What a data type is

The kind of data a value is, such as a number, text or true/false. The data type decides what the computer can do with the value.

Part of: ACARA Digital Technologies Years 5–6 — Representing Data with Numbers — Module 36

Understanding What a data type is in ACARA Digital Technologies Years 5–6

What it does: 5 is a number, so the computer can add it and get 7. True is a true/false value. It is a different type from a number or text, and it has just two choices: True or False. A data type tells us what kind of data a value is. The computer uses it to know what it can do with the value. The type decides which actions work. For example, you can add numbers, but you can't do sums with a word. 42 is a number you can do maths with. "forty-two" is text, even though it names a number.

Common mistakes: 42 is a whole number, so its data type is number, not text. The line should say: type of score is number. The value true is a true/false value, not a number. The line should say: type of isHappy is true/false.

Class: _____________________  ·  Name: _____________________  ·  Date: _________

Free printable worksheet with full answer key — or add this module to a class and your students practise it interactively.

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This module's key terms are also in a printable crossword (Modules 73–84) and word search (Modules 73–104).

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Learning
Duo
What is a data type?
The kind of data a value is, like a number or textThe speed a computer runs at
Matches
"5" is a number because it has a 5 in it
↓
The quote marks make "5" text. A value's type is decided by the kind of data it is, not just by how it looks.
Applying
Meanings
Term
data type
Meaning
The kind of data a value is, such as a number, text or true/false. The data type decides what the computer can do with the value.
Practice
print(type(5))
Testing
Gaps
print((5))
Check Answer
Spots
1score ← 42
2type of score is text

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Quick Questions

1. What is a data type?
A. The speed a computer runs at
B. The kind of data a value is, like a number or text ✓
A data type tells us what kind of data a value is. The computer uses it to know what it can do with the value.
2. Which of these is a data type used in this unit?
A. True/false ✓
B. Loud/quiet
The three types in this unit are numbers, text and true/false.
3. The data type of a value decides...
A. What the computer can do with that value ✓
B. What colour the screen is
The type decides which actions work. For example, you can add numbers, but you can't do sums with a word.
4. The number 5 and the text "5" look the same, so they are the same data type.
A. False: one is a number and one is text ✓
B. True: they both show a 5
Values that look alike can have different types. The number 5 is for maths. The text "5" is just a symbol, like a letter.
5. Which value is text?
A. true
B. "hello" ✓
Quote marks show that a value is text. The value true is a true/false value.

Match the Pairs

data type → The kind of data a value is, such as a number, text or true/false
"5" → Text type: the character 5 in quote marks, not a number you can add up
A whole number is one of the three data types in this unit, and you can do sums with it → 5 + 2
A true/false value is a data type with only two possible values → True
"5" is a number because it has a 5 in it → The quote marks make "5" text. A value's type is decided by the kind of data it is, not just by how it looks.
All values are the same type, so the computer can do the same things with them → Values have different data types such as number, text or true/false, and the type decides what the computer can do.

Key Term

data type
The kind of data a value is, such as a number, text or true/false. The data type decides what the computer can do with the value.

Fill in the Blanks

1. print(type(5))
Hint: Type the function name that reports the data type of a value.
2. score = 5 print(type(score))
Hint: Type the variable name that holds the value whose data type we want to check.
3. The data type of "5" is text
Hint: Type the data type of a value that is inside quote marks.
4. The data type of TRUE is true/false
Hint: Type the data type for a value that can only be one of two answers, yes or no.
5. 5 and "5" look the same. They have different data types.
Hint: Type the word that tells whether the two data types match or not.

Spot the Error

Question 1
A score ← 42
B type of score is text
C score ← score + 1
Line B — 42 is a whole number, so its data type is number, not text. The line should say: type of score is number.
Question 2
A isHappy ← true
B count ← 3
C type of isHappy is number
Line C — The value true is a true/false value, not a number. The line should say: type of isHappy is true/false.
Question 3
A city ← Perth
B type of city is text
C show city
Line A — Text must be written inside quotes. Without quotes, Perth is not a text value. It should be city ← "Perth".
Question 4
A price ← 8
B tax ← "2"
C total ← price + tax
Line B — Quotes make "2" text, so it can't be added like a number. Write tax ← 2 so that price + tax works as maths.
Question 5
A ready ← "true"
B type of ready is true/false
C show ready
Line A — Quotes turn true into text. A true/false value is written without quotes: ready ← true.

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