What type of data is represented by '0' and '1' in computing?

The representation of '0' and '1' in computing is known as binary data. This system is fundamental to computer science because it corresponds directly to the binary number system, which uses only two digits: 0 and 1. Each digit in a binary system represents a power of two, allowing for various combinations that can encode information. This binary language is the core of how computers process and store information, as all forms of data (such as text, images, and sounds) can be ultimately reduced to sequences of zeros and ones.

Text data, on the other hand, involves a representation of characters and cannot be reduced solely to binary without encoding schemes like ASCII or UTF-8. Similarly, analog data refers to continuous signals that represent physical quantities and is not represented using just '0' and '1'. Numeric data may involve more complex representations, including decimal formats and may use binary for processing but is broader than binary alone. Hence, identifying '0' and '1' specifically as binary data highlights their role within the foundational structure of computing.