1. Unit 3 Lesson 6 Electronic Technology
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2. Speaking in Code What are electronics?
Unit 3 Lesson 6 Electronic Technology
Speaking in Code
What are electronics?
Electronic devices like computers are not the same as electrical devices like toasters. Both use electrical energy. But electronic devices are able to control the flow of electrons using integrated circuits.
An integrated circuit is a single, tiny chip of specially treated silicon containing many circuit parts. Integrated circuits carry out instructions, or programs, by controlling current.
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3. How can information be coded?
Unit 3 Lesson 6 Electronic Technology
How can information be coded?
A signal is a pattern that contains coded information. For example, Morse code is a signal that uses dashes and dots to represent letters of the alphabet.
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4. How can information be coded?
Unit 3 Lesson 6 Electronic Technology
How can information be coded?
Electronic devices also use coded signals. The two kinds of signals they use are analog signals and digital signals.
Signals that change continuously in a given range are called analog signals.
A digital signal is a sequence of separate values.
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5. How can information be coded?
Unit 3 Lesson 6 Electronic Technology
How can information be coded?
Information in a digital signal is represented using a pattern called the binary code. Binary means “two.”
The digital binary code is made up of two digits: 1 and 0.
In computers and other digital electronics, digital signals are carried by a series of on-off electric pulses. A 1 is encoded as a pulse. A 0 is encoded as no pulse.
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6. How can information be coded?
Unit 3 Lesson 6 Electronic Technology
How can information be coded?
An analog signal, like music, can be converted to a digital signal and stored on a compact disc (CD).
The flat, reflecting layer of a CD is called the land. Data is recorded on the land in a spiral-shaped series of bumps called pits.
Inside a computer or CD player, a laser shines light on a spinning CD. Pits are read as dark areas because they reflect light differently than the land does. The patterns of light and dark are interpreted as a digital signal that can be converted into your favorite song.
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7. The Incredible Shrinking Computer
Unit 3 Lesson 6 Electronic Technology
The Incredible Shrinking Computer
How have computers changed?
A computer is any electronic device that performs tasks by following instructions given to it.
Computers receive information, called input, through keyboards, touchscreens, or other devices. The input can be processed through a central processor or stored in memory.
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8. How have computers changed?
Unit 3 Lesson 6 Electronic Technology
How have computers changed?
Computers output information through monitors, printers, or other devices. A microprocessor controls and carries out the computer’s instructions.
A smartphone is a cell phone that is a mobile computer with functions such as Internet access, cameras, and built-in applications.
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