Computer Skills Course: Bits, Bytes, Kilobytes, Megabytes, Gigabytes, Terabytes (OLD VERSION)

Dane Hartman

12 Apr 201604:50

Summary

TLDRThis educational video script delves into the binary system, explaining that data in computers is stored using bits (binary digits). It clarifies that a 'byte' consists of eight bits, which can store a single letter or symbol. The script progresses to define larger units of data storage, such as kilobytes (1,000 bytes), megabytes (1,000 kilobytes), gigabytes (1,000 megabytes), and terabytes (1,000 gigabytes). It provides historical context with examples like the 5.25-inch floppy disk and concludes with the affordability and capacity of modern storage devices, illustrating the evolution of digital storage.

Takeaways

💾 Computers use the binary system, which consists of only two numbers: 1 and 0.
🔑 A 'bit' is the smallest unit of data in a computer, representing a binary digit.
📚 Bits are used to store various types of information, such as text, colors, and sounds.
🧩 A 'byte' is a collection of eight bits, used to store basic units of information like letters or symbols.
📖 One kilobyte (KB) is equivalent to 1,000 bytes, which can hold about two pages of text.
💿 The 5 and 1/4 inch floppy disk could store 360 kilobytes, a common storage medium in the late 1970s and early 1980s.
📚 A 'megabyte' (MB) is a collection of 1,000 kilobytes, enough to store about five large books or one minute of music.
📀 The 3 and 1/2 inch floppy disk from the 1980s could hold 1.4 megabytes, a significant capacity at the time.
🎵 A 'gigabyte' (GB) is a collection of 1,000 megabytes, capable of holding about 400 books or 16 hours of music.
💿 A 'terabyte' (TB) is a collection of 1,000 gigabytes, enough to store 400,000 large books or two years of continuous music.

Q & A

What is the binary system and how does it relate to computer data storage?
-The binary system is a numeral system that uses only two numbers, one and zero. In computer data storage, these binary digits, known as bits, are used to represent and store all kinds of information, from text to images and sounds.
What is the term for the smallest unit of data in a computer?
-The smallest unit of data in a computer is called a bit, which stands for binary digit.
How many bits make up a byte?
-A byte is made up of eight bits.
What is the significance of a byte in terms of text storage?
-One byte is typically the amount of space needed to store one single letter or symbol in a text document.
How many bytes are there in a kilobyte?
-There are 1,000 bytes in a kilobyte, although technically there are 1,024 bytes due to the binary system where numbers are in powers of two.
What was the storage capacity of a 5 and 1/4 inch floppy disc in the late 1970s and early 1980s?
-A 5 and 1/4 inch floppy disc could hold 360 kilobytes of information.
What is a megabyte and how much data can it store?
-A megabyte is a unit of digital storage that consists of 1,000 kilobytes, and it is enough space to hold about five large books or one minute of music.
What was the storage capacity of a 3 and 1/2 inch floppy disc in the 1980s?
-A 3 and 1/2 inch floppy disc could hold 1.4 megabytes of data.
What is a gigabyte and how much data can it store?
-A gigabyte is a unit of digital storage that consists of 1,000 megabytes and can store about 400 books, a thousand pictures, or 16 hours of music.
What is a terabyte and how much data can it store?
-A terabyte is a unit of digital storage that consists of 1,000 gigabytes and can store about 400,000 large books, a million pictures, or two years of continuous music.
How have the costs of storage devices changed over time?
-The cost of storage devices has significantly decreased over time. For example, by the mid-1990s, a 1 gigabyte hard drive could be purchased for a couple hundred dollars, whereas today, a 1 terabyte hard drive can be bought for under $50.

Outlines

00:00

💾 Understanding Digital Storage

This paragraph introduces the binary system used by computers, which is based on only two numbers: one and zero. These binary digits, known as 'bits,' are the smallest unit of data. Bits are used to store various types of information, such as text, images, and sounds. To store more complex information, multiple bits are grouped together. The paragraph explains that eight bits form a 'byte,' which is a fundamental unit of storage equivalent to the space required for one letter or symbol in a text document. The concept of a 'kilobyte' is introduced as 1,000 bytes, which was historically significant in the context of storage capacity, such as the 360 kilobytes that a 5 and 1/4 inch floppy disk could hold in the late 1970s and early 1980s.

Mindmap

Keywords

💡Binary System

The binary system is a base-2 numeral system that uses only two digits, 0 and 1, to represent data. It is the foundation of computer data storage and processing. In the video, the binary system is introduced as the method by which computers store data, emphasizing that all information, from text to sound, is encoded using only these two digits.

💡Bit

A bit, short for 'binary digit,' is the smallest unit of data in a computer, representing a single binary value of either 0 or 1. The video explains that bits are the building blocks of all digital information, and understanding bits is crucial for grasping how computers store and process data.

💡Byte

A byte is a collection of eight bits, which is used as a standard unit of data storage. The video uses the term 'byte' to illustrate how data storage capacity is measured, mentioning that one byte is roughly the amount of space needed to store a single letter or symbol in a text document.

💡Kilobyte (KB or K)

A kilobyte is a unit of digital information that is equivalent to 1,000 bytes (or 1,024 bytes when considering the binary nature of computer storage). The video uses the term 'kilobyte' to describe an early measure of data storage capacity, such as the capacity of a 5 and a 1/4 inch floppy disk in the 1970s and 1980s.

💡Megabyte (MB)

A megabyte is a unit of digital information that is equivalent to 1,000 kilobytes (or 1,024 kilobytes in binary terms). The video explains that a megabyte was a significant measure of storage in the past, enough to hold about five large books or one minute of music, and it provides a historical context by mentioning the capacity of a 3 and 1/2 inch floppy disk.

💡Gigabyte (GB)

A gigabyte is a unit of digital information that is equivalent to 1,000 megabytes (or 1,024 megabytes in binary terms). The video uses 'gigabyte' to describe a larger capacity of data storage, such as what was available on hard drives in the 1990s and what can now be found on inexpensive flash drives.

💡Terabyte (TB)

A terabyte is a unit of digital information that is equivalent to 1,000 gigabytes (or 1,024 gigabytes in binary terms). The video describes a terabyte as a massive amount of storage capable of holding approximately 400,000 large books or two years of continuous music, and it highlights the affordability of such storage today.

💡Floppy Disk

A floppy disk is a type of disk storage composed of a disk of thin and flexible magnetic storage medium encased in a rectangular plastic shell. The video references the 5 and a 1/4 inch and 3 and 1/2 inch floppy disks to provide historical context on data storage devices and their capacities.

💡Storage Capacity

Storage capacity refers to the amount of data that can be stored on a digital storage medium. The video discusses storage capacity in the context of various units (bytes, kilobytes, megabytes, gigabytes, terabytes) and how these capacities have increased over time while their costs have decreased.

💡Digital Storage Terminology

Digital storage terminology encompasses the specific terms and units used to describe data storage in computing. The video provides an overview of these terms, from bits and bytes to kilobytes, megabytes, gigabytes, and terabytes, to help viewers understand the progression and scale of digital storage.

💡Data Compression

Although not explicitly mentioned in the video, data compression is an important concept related to digital storage. It involves reducing the size of data to save storage space or to transmit data more efficiently. The video's discussion of storage capacities and the evolution of storage devices implies the role of data compression in managing digital information.

Highlights

Computers use the binary system, which only has two numbers: one and zero.

Binary digits, which can be either one or zero, are called bits.

Bits are the smallest unit of data in a computer.

Bits are used to store various types of information, including text, colors, and sounds.

A group of eight bits is called a byte.

One byte is the amount of space needed to store one letter or symbol.

1,000 bytes make up a kilobyte, often abbreviated as KB or K.

Technically, there are 1,024 bytes in a kilobyte due to binary powers of two.

A kilobyte can hold about two pages of text.

The 5 and 1/4 inch floppy disc could hold 360 kilobytes of information.

1,000 kilobytes make up a megabyte, often abbreviated as MB.

A megabyte can hold about five large books or one minute of music.

The 3 and 1/2 inch floppy disc held 1.4 megabytes of data in the 1980s.

1,000 megabytes make up a gigabyte, which can hold about 400 books or 16 hours of music.

In the mid-1990s, a 1 gigabyte hard drive cost a couple hundred dollars.

1,000 gigabytes make up a terabyte, which can hold about 400,000 large books or two years of music.

Today, a 1 terabyte hard drive can be bought for under $50.

The progression from bits to bytes, kilobytes, megabytes, gigabytes, and terabytes shows the growth in digital storage capacity.