If the device's main purpose is to gather information for the computer, then it's an input device. If its main purpose is to let the computer communicate information to the user, then it's an output device.

Now, let's look at a simple example of how input travels through a computer and becomes output. When you press a key on your keyboard, let's say the letter B, the keyboard converts the letter to a number. …

They may look different, but they all share the same underlying technology. The more we understand how that technology works, the more we can use the computers around us to help make our world …

Computers perform more than simple Boolean logic operations on input data, and they typically output more than a single binary digit. Computers definitely use logic gates for all their calculations, …

Next, you'll zoom out and look at the different parts of the computer that actually input, output, and store all that information. Finally, you'll take a look at what code actually is and how software controls …

Computer memory isn't infinite, so there's a limit to how much data we can input before we overflow the memory. Computers also vary a lot in memory size, usually because of physical size constraints.

Understand hardware, software, CPU, memory, storage devices, and key characteristics of a computer system.

Computer components How does the computer receive, store, and process data? Explore how input and output devices, CPU, and computer memory work.

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How can the input of one computer become the output for another (and vice versa)?