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How 'binary information' is communicated via the internet

Video How 'binary information' is communicated via the internet

TLF ID M020595

Ever wondered how your photos, emails and messages get sent between devices? Watch as software engineer Tess Winlock explains what binary information is, and how it gets from one place to another. Can you explain what 'bits' are? How about 'bytes'? In the past, binary information was sent using physical systems like semaphore and morse code. Today, binary code is sent using electricity, light and radio waves in the form of wires, fibre optic cables and wifi. After you've watched this video, see if you can write a list of the pros and cons of each of these technologies. How do you think communication technologies might change in the future? Please note: the radio waveforms that appear at 5 mins 27 secs in this video are incorrectly labelled. The first one should be AM, the one under it, FM.

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Educational details

Year level

5; 6; 7; 8

Topics Technologies Data processing Data representation Internet STEM Transmission control protocols
Learning area
  • Digital technologies
  • Technologies

Other details

Contributors
  • Contributor
  • Name: Australian Broadcasting Corporation
  • Organization: Australian Broadcasting Corporation
  • Description: Creator
  • URL: http://www.abc.net.au
  • Name: Education Services Australia
  • Organization: Education Services Australia
  • Description: Data manager
  • Address: VIC, AUSTRALIA
  • URL: http://www.esa.edu.au/
  • Publisher
  • Name: Australian Broadcasting Corporation
  • Organization: Australian Broadcasting Corporation
  • Description: Publisher
  • URL: http://www.abc.net.au
  • Resource metadata contributed by
  • Name: Education Services Australia Ltd
  • Organisation: Education Services Australia Ltd
  • Address: AUSTRALIA
  • URL: www.esa.edu.au
Access profile
  • Generic
Learning Resource Type
  • Video
Rights
  • This Licence allows you to download, remix, alter and re-use this clip in your own creations. You can share your creations by copying, distributing and communicating to others. You must provide a credit to the ABC as follows: Clip/Main Title [How 'binary information' is communicated via the internet] provided by the Australian Broadcasting Corporation.