o Distinguish between computer data represented by the state of a computer’s electrical switches and the meaningful information that is displayed to the user.
Computer data represented by the state of a computer's electrical switches refers to the physical representation of information within a computer's memory or storage. It is the raw form of data, consisting of 0s and 1s, also known as binary code. These electrical switches, called transistors, can be in either an "on" state (represented by a high voltage) or an "off" state (represented by a low voltage). With various combinations of these on/off states, computers can represent and process different types of information.
On the other hand, meaningful information displayed to the user is the result of processing and interpreting the raw data. It is the outcome of transforming the computer data into a format that humans can understand and interact with. This information can be presented on the computer screen as text, images, videos, or any other form of media. The meaningful information is what users perceive and engage with when using a computer system.
To better understand the distinction between computer data and meaningful information, let's use an example. Imagine you have a text file stored on your computer. The actual data stored on the computer's memory consists of binary code, represented by a sequence of 0s and 1s. However, when you open the file on your computer, the text is displayed in a readable format, making it meaningful information for you.
To summarize, computer data represented by electrical switches is the raw form of information stored within a computer system, while the meaningful information displayed to the user is the processed and interpreted data that is presented in a format that humans can understand.