In this unit, you learned about some number concepts that are probably new to you, such as exabytes and hexadecimal. In this lab, you will explore those concepts a bit more. First, work through the interactive at Byte Size, which will help you to better visualize and understand the different terms used to measure data.

In the unit, the largest unit of measurement for data that you learned about was the exabyte. But in the visualization, you were introduced to two even larger units. What are they? In what situations do you think it might be useful to use these terms?
Next, visit the website Rapid Tables and spend a few minutes converting decimal numbers to binary and to hexadecimal.

What year were you born? Express that year in binary numbers. What about hexadecimal numbers?
Can you think of a situation where it would make the most sense to express your birth year in binary numbers? Hexadecimal numbers? Decimal numbers?
Now, select two gaming systems, such as a PlayStation and an Xbox or a Nintendo Switch and an Xbox One. Go online and research to find the specifications for each gaming system.

What data did you discover about the processing speeds of each system (in gigahertz)? How do the processing speeds of these two gaming systems compare? Does this data surprise you? Why or why not? As a consumer, is processing speed important to your buying decision? Why or why not?
Visit a website that sells laptops. Select one of the laptops and look at its specifications. Now take a look at the computers used by NASA’s High-End Computing Program.

What is the processor speed of the laptop, and how does it compare to the processor speed of one of NASA’s computers? (Hint: you are looking for a number in GHz.) How does the memory of the laptop and NASA computers compare? Are you surprised by these numbers?
In your own words, explain why it is important to understand the terminology used for the numbers that are associated with computers.