APCSP - Unit 1 Vocab

Bit

the smallest unit of digital information represented through 0s and 1s

Decimal

our normal number system (1,2,3…10,11,12,13…)

Binary

the way that digital information is stored, through bits

Byte

a group of 8 bits; represent large pieces of information (ex: letters, characters)

Counting Principle

if one choice can be made by ‘a‘ ways and a second choice can be made ‘b‘ ways, then the two choices together can be made in a*b ways

ASCII

a system computers use to store characters using #’s (ex: A = 65; B = 66; C = 33)

Hexadecimal

a base 16 number system used in computing. It uses 16 symbols: 0-9 and A-F

Floating Point numbers

how computers store numbers with decimals

Rounding error

a computer stores a number approximately instead of exactly

Overflow error

a # is too large to be stored using the fixed number of bits a computer has available

Compression

makes files smaller so they can be stored more efficiently and sent faster over the internet

Lossy Compression

reduce file size by permanently removing same data (ex: JPEG images, MP3 audio files, streaming video)

Lossless Compression

reduce file size without losing any data (ex: ZIP files, Text files)

Analog Data

information that can have any value within a continuous range; changes smoothly over time

Discete Data

consists to seperate, distinct values; gaps between possible values

Sampling

the process of measuring an analog signal at regular intervals and recording those measurements as digital data

Pixels

a tiny element that represents one color that helps store an image on a computer

Intellectual property (IP)

creations of the mind; ex: software, music, videos, images, etc.

Copyright

legal protection given to creators of original works; they have the right to copy, distribute, and sell their own work

Fair use

allows limited use of copyrighted material permission in certain situations; does not automatically mean anything used in school is legal; ex: Education, commentary, research, criticism; etc.

Open Source Software

makes it source code publicly available; public users may modify, view, and/or shared the code; this allows for collaboration and innovation

Ethical Computing

even when something is technically online, it may not be ethical to copy or use it without permission; ex: giving credit to creators, avoiding plagiarism, following copyright laws, etc.

Creative Commons Licenses

a license that allows creators to specify how others may use their work; ex of rules: don’t sell it, don’t change it; give credit