distinguish between computer data represented by the state of a computers electrical switches and the meaningful information that is dispalyed to the user
If you read this answer in binary, you would have a clue.
01001001011001100010000001111001011011110111010100100000011100100110010101100001
01100100001000000111010001101000011010010111001100100000011010010110111000100000
01100010011010010110111001100001011100100111100100101100001000000111100101101111
01110101001000000111011101101111011101010110110001100100001000000110100001100001
01110110011001010010000001100001001000000110001101101100011101010110010100101110
Computer data refers to the raw, unprocessed information that is stored and manipulated by a computer. It is represented by the state of a computer's electrical switches, which can be either on (1) or off (0). These switches, also known as binary digits or bits, form the basis of computing and are combined in various ways to represent different types of data such as numbers, text, images, and videos.
On the other hand, meaningful information refers to the processed and organized data that is presented to the user in a way that can be easily understood and interpreted. It is the output of data processing, where the raw data is transformed into a format that makes sense and conveys a specific message or purpose.
To illustrate the distinction, consider a scenario where you have a text document stored on your computer. The computer data represents the document as a sequence of binary digits based on the characters, words, and formatting used. However, when you open the document using a word-processing software, you see the meaningful information displayed on the screen as readable text, with proper formatting and layout.
In summary, computer data is the underlying representation of information stored in a computer's electrical switches, while meaningful information is the processed and organized data that is presented to the user in a way that can be easily understood and interpreted.