Vocabulary Terms

Multiple levels of abstraction are used to write programs or create other computational artifacts.

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Terms

Alpha channel

Used to measure transparency

AND gate

Connects two circuits using a boolean AND operation

Binary

A way of representing information using only two options.

Bit

A contraction of "Binary Digit"; the single unit of information in a computer, typically represented as a 0 or 1

Computer

A device for digitally processing data and instructions

Computer input

Any mechanism for entering data into a computer system or computing process

Computer memory

The various ways that digital computers store and process data in the short-term or long-term

Computer output

Computer processing

Computer storage

CPU

CPU cache

File header

GIF format

Heuristic

A problem solving approach (algorithm) to find a satisfactory solution where finding an optimal or exact solution is impractical or impossible

Hexadecimal

The base-16 number system

Human-input device

Image

Data stored as graphics or pictures

Image filter

Integrated circuit

JPEG format

Logic circuit

Logic gate

Lossless Compression

A data compression algorithm that allows the original data to be perfectly reconstructed from the compressed data

Lossy Compression

Metadata

NOT gate

a gate that performs a Not operation on boolean inputs

OR gate

a gate that performs an Or operation on boolean inputs

Pixel

PNG format

Primary storage

RGB

RGBA

Secondary memory

Secondary storage

Transistor