Q.Distinguish between data and information, giving one example of each.

This question tests the basic difference between raw facts and processed, meaningful facts — the starting point of the whole chapter.

For example, the numbers 72, 85 and 64 are data; stating that they are a student's marks in three subjects with an average of 73.6% is information.

Data are raw, unprocessed facts and figures — numbers, names, dates and so on — that on their own may not carry a complete meaning. For instance, the numbers 72, 85 and 64 are just data; they do not tell us anything useful by themselves.

Information is what we get when data is collected, organised and processed so that it becomes meaningful and useful for taking a decision. If we are told that 72, 85 and 64 are the marks a student scored in three subjects, and that this gives an average of 73.6%, the same numbers now carry meaning — that is information.

The key relationship is: information is processed data. A database and a DBMS exist precisely to store data in an organised way so that useful information can be obtained from it quickly and accurately.

Students often use 'data' and 'information' as if they mean the same thing. Remember the direction: data is the raw input, information is the useful output after processing. Always give one concrete example of each to make the difference clear.