Imagine you’re part of a team, and one person is holding a piece of paper. This person needs to decide what symbols will represent “off” and “on.” Let’s say the black squares are “1” and the white squares are “2.” Ready? Let’s go! 1, 1, 1, 1, 2, 2, 2, 2.
Binary is like a language with only two letters. Instead of using letters like A and B, binary uses numbers: 0 and 1. This system is super important in computers. One common use is in “if statements.” These are instructions that tell a computer: “If something is true, do this; if it’s not true, do something else.”
But what if you want to do something more complex, like working with images or sounds on a computer? Computers only understand binary, but images aren’t just made of ones and zeros. So, how do we handle that?
Let’s take a beautiful picture as an example. A picture is a type of information, and all information can be turned into binary. You just need to figure out how to do it.
First, use your imagination. Picture a grid placed over the image. For each square in the grid, decide if it’s more black or more white, and color it that way. Each square will be either black or white. We can say black squares are zeros and white squares are ones.
In the end, you’ll have a series of ones and zeros. This is how you represent the image in binary!
Understanding binary is like learning a new language that computers speak. By turning images into binary, we can help computers understand and display them. It’s a fascinating way to see how technology works behind the scenes!
Grab a piece of graph paper and create a simple image using only black and white squares. Assign “1” to black and “0” to white. Write down the binary code for each row of your image. Share your artwork and binary code with the class!
Work in pairs to find everyday objects around the classroom that can be represented in binary. For example, a light switch can be “on” (1) or “off” (0). Create a list of at least five objects and their binary representations.
Your teacher will provide a secret message written in binary code. Work with a partner to decode the message into English. Discuss how each letter of the alphabet can be represented using binary numbers.
Receive a small section of a binary image. Work with classmates to piece together the entire image by matching your binary codes. Once complete, discuss how each section was represented in binary.
Play a game where you convert decimal numbers to binary. Your teacher will call out a decimal number, and you must quickly write down its binary equivalent. The first student to get it right earns a point!
Here’s a sanitized version of the provided YouTube transcript:
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For each team, the person who’s instructing is the one holding the paper. They need to determine what their “off” symbol will be and what their “on” symbol will be. I will assign the black ones as 1 and the white ones as 2. Ready? Okay! 1, 1, 1, 1, 2, 2, 2, 2.
In binary, it’s similar to an alphabet with two letters, like having A and B as your entire alphabet, but instead, you have 0 and 1. The most common application of binary is in an if statement, which is a fundamental concept in programming. The program runs and checks: “if something is true, then do this; if it’s not true, do something else.”
What if you want to do something a bit more complex? Instead of an if statement, you might want to work with something like an image or sound on a computer. A computer only understands binary, but an image is not binary; it consists of more than just ones and zeros. How do you represent that?
Here’s an example: consider a beautiful picture. A picture is essentially a form of information, and all information can be encoded in binary in some way. You just need to figure out how to do it.
For this picture, the first step is to use your imagination. You can visualize placing a grid over the image. For each square in the grid, you’ll determine if it is more black or more white, and then color it accordingly. Each cell in the grid will be either black or white. We can designate the black squares as zeros (binary digit) and the white squares as ones (the other binary digit).
In the end, you will have a series of ones and zeros, which is how you represent this image in binary.
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This version maintains the original content while ensuring clarity and appropriateness.
Binary – A system of numbers using only the digits 0 and 1, used in computers to represent data. – Computers use binary code to process and store information efficiently.
Images – Digital pictures or graphics that can be displayed on a computer screen. – We learned how to edit images using a photo editing software in our computer class.
Computers – Electronic devices that can store, process, and retrieve data. – Computers have become essential tools for both education and entertainment.
Coding – The process of writing instructions for a computer to perform specific tasks. – In our coding class, we created a simple game using a programming language.
Squares – Shapes with four equal sides, often used in computer graphics and design. – We used squares to create a pixel art image in our graphics project.
Information – Data that is processed and organized to be meaningful and useful. – The internet is a vast source of information on almost any topic you can think of.
Grid – A network of horizontal and vertical lines used to organize content on a screen or page. – Designers use a grid to align elements neatly in a web page layout.
Black – A color often used in computer screens to represent the absence of light or color. – The text on the screen was black, making it easy to read against the white background.
White – A color often used in computer screens to represent the presence of all colors of light. – The white background of the document made the colorful images stand out.
Language – A system of symbols and rules used to communicate instructions to a computer. – Python is a popular programming language for beginners to learn coding.
