New Perspectives Classic Labs

DATA REPRESENTATION

A computer stores many types of data-text, graphics, sound, animation, and video. Digital computers, such as the microcomputers you use, store all these different types of data as the electronic equivalent of 1s and 0s. How is it possible to reduce a long document or complex graphic to a series of 1s and 0s? In this Lab you'll find out how this is done.  

1.  Click the Steps button to learn how text, monochrome graphics, color graphics, and vector graphic are stored. As you proceed through the Steps, answer all of the Quick Check questions that appear. After you complete the Steps, you will see a Quick Check Summary Report. Follow the instructions on the screen to print this report.  

2.  Click the Explore button. Suppose you are a computer and you need to sort a list containing words, numbers, and symbols. Look up the ANSI representation for the first character of each item on the list. Then, sort the list according to this ANSI code. The item with the lowest ANSI code should be first in the list. The list is as follows:

 broom

 3

 Tree

 ]

 Bottle

 03

 10

3.  Using Explore's Quick Convert, find the ANSI code for your first and last name. Write this on paper. Then write the decimal equivalent to the ANSI code for your first and last name.  

4.  Suppose you are a computer, and you receive the following 1s and 0s from your modem. Using Explore's ANSI Table, convert these 1s and 0s into the letters, numerals, and symbols you would display on the screen.  

 01010100 01101000 01100101

 00100000 00110100 00100000

 01101111 01100110 00100000

 01001000 01100101 01100001

 01110010 01110100 01110011

5.  Suppose you are a computer, and you receive a monochrome graphics file containing a string of 1s and 0s. Using Explore's Monochrome Grid, create this graphic, then print it.  

 00010000

 00111000

 01111100

 11111110

 11101110

 01000100

 00000000

6.  Using Explore's Monochrome Grid, convert the following decimal numbers into a monochrome graphic, then print it.  

 8, 12, 254, 255, 254, 12, 8, 0

7.  Suppose you are a computer, and you receive a 16-color graphics file containing a string of 1s and 0s. Using Explore's 16-Color Grid, recreate this graphic, then print it:

 11111111 11001111 11001111 11001111

 00000000 11000100 01000100 11001111

 11111111 11001100 01001100 11001111

 00000000 11111100 11001100 11111111

 11111111 11111111 00101111 10101111

 00000000 11111111 00101010 10101111

 11111111 11111111 00101010 11111111

 00000000 11111111 00101111 11111111

8.  Using Explore's Vector Draw, recreate a vector graphic from the following set of instructions. Print your completed graphic.  

 Shape Color Top Left Width Height

 Circle red 73 212 50 50

 Circle yellow 137 212 50 50

 Circle green 202 212 50 50

 Rounded black 39 200 73 241

 rectangle