How do computers know what to do with binary 1’s and 0’s?

Question

I’m very interested in learning how computers work, but can’t seem to find the exact information I’m looking for. My understanding is, and **please** correct me if I’m wrong, is that if you press the letter “A” on a keyboard, a circuit underneath will close which sends electricity to wires, and based on the combination of voltages on the wires, the computer outputs an “A”. But how does the computer know what do to with voltages? What do the voltages represent? At what point does any of this information get converted into binary, and once it does, what happens?

I don’t expect someone to be able to explain this like I’m five. For me, it’s a difficult, but really interesting subject. Any clarification and dumbing down is appreciated! I’m really hoping to get a better grasp on my understanding of all this.

Edit: I should’ve made the title “How do computers work?” Still wondering how computers know what to do with 1’s and 0’s, though.

In: 0

Answer 1

> At what point do [the voltages] get converted into binary, and once it does, what happens?

Never. The computer is just a very complex calculator that can do, basically, [large matrix math](https://qph.cf2.quoracdn.net/main-qimg-c6acec260971027bde0869e697573954-pjlq), and by that I mean that the voltages are [huge complex chains](https://www.inquirer.com/resizer/UHD5ZP8WLLKS4Jl_bSGn_tkgNm0=/arc-anglerfish-arc2-prod-pmn/public/GWZL7BJHTRHJHFEZMZSFBK25QU.jpg) of transistors that will “flip” all the way down the line at the speed of light, based on inputs from the keyboard and mouse. Your screen is a bunch of [lights](https://previews.123rf.com/images/tailex47/tailex471509/tailex47150900060/44696475-bright-blue-colored-smd-led-screen-close-up-background.jpg) that are controlled by a pattern of voltages that changes 60 times per second. The computer doesn’t “know anything”, it just propagates voltages to your screen, to your printer, to your sound speakers, and gets voltages from the keyboard, mouse, internet, camera, etc.

The 1’s and 0’s are used by us humans to explain what’s going on in there. First we interpret the voltages as 1 and 0, then we interpret 1’s and 0’s as letters and symbols, which can form words, which can form a programming language, and so on, so we can use “complex” concepts to explain what the transistors are “programmed” to do.