Which term describes shrinking without losing data?

Enhance your understanding of IGCSE Algorithms and Pseudocode Foundations. Engage with flashcards and multiple-choice questions, each offering hints and explanations. Prepare thoroughly for your exam!

Multiple Choice

Which term describes shrinking without losing data?

Explanation:
Shrinking data without losing any information is about lossless compression. It means you can compress the data and then decompress it to get back exactly the original, bit for bit. This is ideal when every detail matters, like text, program code, or data files. If some information is discarded to make the file smaller, that’s lossy compression, which trades accuracy for a smaller size. More general terms like data compression describe reducing size in general but don’t specify whether data is preserved. Sample resolution isn’t about compression at all; it refers to how finely a signal is measured or represented, which affects quality rather than whether the original data can be perfectly reconstructed.

Shrinking data without losing any information is about lossless compression. It means you can compress the data and then decompress it to get back exactly the original, bit for bit. This is ideal when every detail matters, like text, program code, or data files. If some information is discarded to make the file smaller, that’s lossy compression, which trades accuracy for a smaller size. More general terms like data compression describe reducing size in general but don’t specify whether data is preserved. Sample resolution isn’t about compression at all; it refers to how finely a signal is measured or represented, which affects quality rather than whether the original data can be perfectly reconstructed.

Subscribe

Get the latest from Examzify

You can unsubscribe at any time. Read our privacy policy