Computers aren't alive and they can't think, so how do they know what to do? At their core, computers don’t understand changes or details like humans do; they're built to recognize binary states, which means there are only two possibilities, like on/off or 1/0.
Every task a computer performs—whether opening a file, running a program, or showing an image—comes down to a series of 1s and 0s, which can be thought of as a simple “yes” or “no.” These tiny decisions happen millions or billions of times every second, allowing computers to complete complex tasks quickly.
So how does a computer decide which choice to make? Here's the trick: they don't. All the possible decisions they could make are built right into them. That’s where transistors come in. Transistors are tiny switches inside the computer that control the flow of electricity. By switching on or off very fast, they help computers use 1s and 0s to carry out all the actions we rely on every day.
Watch the video to see how computers operate using just 1s and 0s—and how transistors make all digital technology possible.
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