Sound and images are represented digitally from "summary" of Code by Charles Petzold
The concept that sound and images are represented digitally is fundamental to understanding how computers work. In the digital realm, everything is ultimately reduced to a series of binary digits, or bits. These bits are the building blocks of all data in a computer system, whether it's text, numbers, sound, images, or anything else. When it comes to representing sound digitally, the key is to capture the sound wave at regular intervals and convert these samples into binary numbers. These binary numbers can then be stored and manipulated by a computer, allowing us to play back the original sound wave with remarkable fidelity. By representing sound in this way, we can achieve high-quality audio reproduction without the need for analog technologies. Similarly, when it comes to representing images digitally, the process involves breaking down the image into a grid of tiny dots called pixels. Each pixel is assigned a color value, which is then represented as a binary number. By organizing these binary numbers in a systematic way, we can create a digital image that closely resembles the original. The beauty of representing sound and images digitally lies in its versatility and flexibility. Once data is in digital form, it can be easily manipulated, edited, and transmitted across different devices and platforms. This is why digital media has become ubiquitous in our modern world, from streaming music and videos to sharing photos and illustrations online.- The concept of representing sound and images digitally is a cornerstone of modern computing. By breaking down complex audio and visual information into simple binary data, computers can process and manipulate these forms of media with incredible precision and efficiency. This digital representation has revolutionized the way we create, consume, and interact with sound and images in the digital age.