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P. 10

    UNDERSTANDING COMPUTER MEMORY

                      You  know that  computers  take  input  as  data  and  instructions  and  give  output  as

                      information. The entered input (data and instructions) and received output (information)
                      are stored inside a memory which is called computer memory. The data stored in the
                      computer can be stored for a long time and can be retrieved  from the computer’s memory,

                      as and when required.

                      HOW IS MEMORY MEASURED IN A COMPUTER?

                      We use different units of measurement to measure anything, such as gram and kilogram
                      for measuring weight; metre and kilometre for distance; mililitre and kilolitre for liquid.

                      Similarly, the measurement unit or storage unit in which the computer stores information
                      is called memory unit. The basic unit for measuring the memory of a computer is the byte.

                         Byte: A  combination of  eight  bits  makes  up  a
                        byte. For example, 10001011, i.e., 1 byte equals            The human brain can hold about 2.5
                        8 bits.                                                     PetaBytes of information, equivalent
                                                                                       to a TV show being played for
                         Bit: Data  and  information  on a computer is               approximately 342 years non stop.
                        stored in the form of 0s and 1s . These are called

                        binary digits or bits. A group of 4 bits is known
                        as a nibble (half byte).
                      The following are the various units of computer memory measurements:

                                      8 bits      1 Byte                         1024 Bytes        1 KiloByte (KB)

                           1024 MegaBytes         1 GigaByte (GB)             1024 KiloBytes       1 MegaByte (MB)

                            1024 GigaBytes        1 TeraByte (TB)             1024 TeraBytes        1 PetaByte (PB)

                            1024 ExaBytes        1 ZettaByte (ZB)              1024 PetaBytes        1 ExaByte (EB)

                           1024 ZettaBytes        1 YottaByte (YB)             1024 YottaBytes        1 BrontoByte

                                                                                                          PURE

                                    The term 'byte' was coined by Werner Buchholz in June 1956.           FACT

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