What Is Data?
Data is information that can be stored, changed and shared by computers. It can be numbers, words, pictures, videos or sounds. Computers turn all of this into tiny pieces called bits. When we talk about how much information a file or a device can hold, we talk about the amount of data, for example in bytes, megabytes or gigabytes.
Definition
In simple words, data is a set of facts that a computer can read and work with. Each fact is written in a special code, usually as 0s and 1s. One 0 or 1 is called a bit. Groups of bits form bigger units like bytes and kilobytes. Programs use data to show you a web page, play a song, save a photo or run a game.
Data on its own can just be raw facts, like a long list of numbers. When people or programs organize and understand this data, it becomes useful information, like a chart, a report or a weather forecast.
History / Origin
The word data comes from a Latin word “datum” which means “something given”. Long before computers, people used the word data for facts collected in science, trade and maps.
In the 1600s and 1700s, scientists began to talk about data when they recorded measurements and results from experiments. They wrote down data in tables and used it to find patterns and rules in nature.
In the 1900s, machines like punch card systems stored data using holes in cards. With the rise of electronic computers in the mid 1900s, the word data became strongly linked to digital information. Bits and bytes became the standard way to measure how much data a device can store or send.
Symbol & Abbreviation
Data itself is a general idea, but the amount of data is measured with common units. Here are the main ones.
- bit symbol b the smallest unit of data, can be 0 or 1
- byte symbol B usually 8 bits
Larger units use prefixes.
- kilobyte abbreviation kB
- megabyte abbreviation MB
- gigabyte abbreviation GB
- terabyte abbreviation TB
- petabyte abbreviation PB
For speed of data transfer, such as internet speed, bits per second are often used, for example Mb/s or Mbps for megabits per second.
Current Use Around the World
Today, data is used in almost every part of life and in every country.
- On phones apps, photos, videos, messages and games are all data stored and sent between devices.
- On the internet websites, social media posts, online videos and emails are different forms of data.
- In business companies collect data about sales, customers and products to make better decisions.
- In science weather stations, telescopes and medical tools collect huge amounts of data to study the world and space.
- In government data is used for maps, laws, health records and public services.
People also talk about big data. This means very large sets of data that are too big for simple tools. Special software is needed to store, search and understand them.
Example Conversions
Here are some basic conversions for units used to measure data size. These are common simple values used in everyday life.
- 1 bit 0 or 1
- 8 bits 1 byte (B)
- 1 kilobyte (kB) about 1 000 bytes
- 1 megabyte (MB) about 1 000 kB or 1 000 000 bytes
- 1 gigabyte (GB) about 1 000 MB or 1 000 000 000 bytes
- 1 terabyte (TB) about 1 000 GB
Some computer systems use 1 kilobyte as 1 024 bytes and so on, but for simple understanding and many storage labels, 1 000 is used as the step between each unit.
Real life examples.
- A short text email a few kilobytes of data
- A single song in MP3 format about 3 to 5 MB of data
- A high quality photo from a phone about 2 to 10 MB of data
- An HD movie can be 2 to 5 GB of data or more
Related Units
Units related to data describe size or speed.
- bit (b) smallest unit of data
- byte (B) group of 8 bits
- kilobit (kb), megabit (Mb), gigabit (Gb) used often for network speeds
- kilobyte (kB), megabyte (MB), gigabyte (GB), terabyte (TB), petabyte (PB) used for file and storage size
- bits per second (b/s or bps) speed of data transfer
- kilobits per second (kb/s), megabits per second (Mb/s or Mbps), gigabits per second (Gb/s or Gbps) internet and network speed
FAQs
What is data in very simple words
Data is information that a computer can store and work with. It can be anything, like a number, a word, a picture, a sound or a video.
How is data stored in a computer
Inside a computer, data is stored as bits. Each bit is a tiny electronic state that can be 0 or 1. Many bits are grouped into bytes, and bytes are saved on storage devices like hard drives, solid state drives, memory chips and USB sticks.
What is the difference between data and information
Data is raw facts, like a list of temperatures. Information is data that has been sorted, explained or shown in a way that makes sense, like a weather report or a graph of those temperatures.
What is the difference between a bit and a byte
A bit is the smallest unit of data and can only be 0 or 1. A byte is usually 8 bits grouped together. 1 byte can store one simple character, like a letter or a small number, in many systems.
Why does data matter
Data matters because it lets computers do useful work. Without data, there would be no websites, no games, no online videos, no digital photos and no messages. Data helps people and machines make better choices and solve problems.
How much data do I use when I watch videos online
The amount of data depends on video quality and time. As a simple rule, one hour of standard quality video might use about 1 GB of data, and one hour of high definition video can use 2 to 3 GB or more.
Is all data digital
Today, when people say data, they often mean digital data in computers. But data can also be written on paper, like numbers in a notebook. When that paper data is typed into a computer, it becomes digital data.