Computer Science · Data representation. The idea in plain words, the rules to remember, the mistake to avoid and a worked example, written and checked by Mega Lecture.
The smallest unit of data is the bit, a single 1 or 0. Larger units are built up in steps of 1024, because 1024 is 210.
You can work out a file size from what the file holds. An image stores one colour code for every pixel. A sound file stores one value for every sample. Find the size in bits first, then divide to change the unit.
Compression makes a file smaller so it needs less storage, less bandwidth and less time to send. Lossy compression removes data for ever. Lossless compression loses nothing, so the original file can be rebuilt exactly.
Students forget to divide by 8 and give the answer in bits when the question asks for bytes. Always check which unit is asked for.
Answer: The file size is 6 MiB.
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