← Years 5–6 Data & Information

Digital systems store everything as numbers

Computers store text, pictures and sound as numbers. Data is converted into number codes so a digital system can store it and work with it.

Part of: 5-6 Digital Technologies Vic Curric - Data, Information and Privacy — Module 5, 7-8 Digital Technologies: Representing data with binary — Module 4, ACARA Digital Technologies Years 5–6 — Representing Data with Numbers — Module 1, ACARA Digital Technologies Years 7–8 — Representing Text, Images and Sound — Module 1

Understanding Digital systems store everything as numbers in Years 5–6 Data & Information

What it does: The letter H is converted to the number 72 so the computer can store it. This shows text being turned into a number code. A sound is measured many times and each measurement is saved as a number. The list of numbers is the stored sound. Digital systems convert pictures into numbers so they can be stored and used.

Common mistakes: ord() changes a letter into its number code (A becomes 65). chr() does the opposite, so line 2 should be code = ord(letter). The list should hold number codes, but this adds the letter itself. Line 4 should be codes.append(ord(ch)) so each letter is converted to a number.

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This module's key terms are also in a printable crossword (Modules 1–10) and word search (Modules 1–20).

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Learning

Duo

How does a digital system store a photo?

As numbers that describe the pictureAs a tiny paper picture inside the computer

Matches

The word CAT is stored as the letters C, A, T inside the computer

↓

Computers do not store letters as letters. Each letter is converted to a number code, so CAT is stored as numbers like 67, 65, 84.

Applying

Meanings

Term

digital data

Meaning

Computers store text, pictures and sound as numbers. Data is converted into number codes so a digital system can store it and work with it.

Practice

word <- "CAT"

Testing

Gaps

print(("A"))

Check Answer

Spots

1letter = "A"

2code = chr(letter)

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Quick Questions

1. How does a digital system store a photo?

A. As numbers that describe the picture ✓

B. As a tiny paper picture inside the computer

Digital systems convert pictures into numbers so they can be stored and used.

2. Which statement is true?

A. Computers turn text into number codes ✓

B. Computers keep letters as real letters inside

Each letter has a number code, and the computer stores that number instead of the letter.

3. Why do computers need data to be changed into numbers?

A. Because a digital system can only store and work with numbers ✓

B. Because computers get bored of letters and pictures

Digital systems work with numbers, so text, pictures and sound must be converted first.

4. Which kind of data is stored as numbers in a digital system?

A. Only maths sums

B. Text, pictures and sound ✓

All data in a digital system is stored as numbers, not just numbers you use in maths.

5. What is a number code?

A. A secret password to open a computer

B. A number that stands for a letter, colour or sound ✓

A number code is a number used to stand for a piece of data, like the letter A.

Match the Pairs

A = 65 → A number code that stands for the letter A so a computer can store it

pixel color = 255, 0, 0 → Numbers that tell the computer how much red, green and blue to show in one dot of a picture

Computers can only store and work with numbers, so text must be converted to numbers first → ord('H') = 72

Sound is converted to a list of numbers so a digital system can store it → sound = [0, 12, 40, 12, 0]

The word CAT is stored as the letters C, A, T inside the computer → Computers do not store letters as letters. Each letter is converted to a number code, so CAT is stored as numbers like 67, 65, 84.

A photo is stored as a tiny picture inside the computer, not as numbers → A photo is not stored as a picture. It is converted into numbers that describe the color of each pixel.

Key Term

digital data

Computers store text, pictures and sound as numbers. Data is converted into number codes so a digital system can store it and work with it.

Fill in the Blanks

1. print(ord("A"))

Hint: Type the function that turns a character into its number code

2. print(chr(66))

Hint: Type the function that turns a number code back into a character

3. letter = "A" code = ord(letter) print(code)

Hint: Type the variable name that holds the character being converted to a number

4. print(chr(ord("A") + 1))

Hint: Type the operator that moves to the next number code

5. print(ord("A") == 65)

Hint: Type the operator that checks whether two values are equal

Spot the Error

Question 1

A letter = "A"

B code = chr(letter)

C print(code)

Line B — ord() changes a letter into its number code (A becomes 65). chr() does the opposite, so line 2 should be code = ord(letter).

Question 2

A word = "CAT"

B codes = []

C for ch in word:

D codes.append(ch)

E print(codes)

Line D — The list should hold number codes, but this adds the letter itself. Line 4 should be codes.append(ord(ch)) so each letter is converted to a number.

Question 3

A colour = (255, 0, 0)

B print("Red:", colour[0])

C print("Green:", colour[2])

D print("Blue:", colour[2])

Line C — A colour is stored as three numbers: red, green, blue. Green is the second number, at position 1, so line 3 should use colour[1].

Question 4

A message = "HI"

B codes = [72, 73]

C print("Stored:", message)

Line C — The line says what is stored, but it prints the message again instead of the numbers. Line 3 should print codes, the list of numbers 72 and 73.

Question 5

A a_code = ord("A")

B b_code = a_code - 1

C print(chr(b_code))

Line B — Letter codes go up by 1 in alphabet order, so B is one more than A. Line 2 should be b_code = a_code + 1 to get B.

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