Word

Description

Digital

information encoded and expressed with the use of binary numbers representing many values in the real world. Digital information is distinguished by the fact that only pre-determined values may be represented using zeros and ones. For example, a digital thermometer would display the temperature using pre-assigned values. On a digital thermometer, the temperature might read 76.2. The next higher reading available might be 76.3. The true temperature, however, could range anywhere between 76.2 and 76.3, such as 76.21, .22, .23 etc. The possible values existing between 76.2 and 76.3 are infinite, but the thermometer, limited by design, can only display pre-set values. Consequently, pinpointing exact values represented by digital data is virtually impossible. Though limited in this way, digital information has many advantages because extremely close approximations are easily achievable. Digital data is also easy
to store and manipulate.
Opposite of analog.