Which term describes the process of reducing file size?

Which term describes the process of reducing file size?

• A. Sample rate
• B. Data compression
• C. Lossless compression
• D. Packet

Answer: (B)

Reducing file size is accomplished by data compression. It works by encoding information more efficiently, often removing redundant data, so the same content takes up fewer bits. There are two common forms: lossless compression, which lets the original data be perfectly reconstructed, and lossy compression, which achieves higher reductions by discarding some detail. The general process name is data compression, while lossless compression is just a specific type of that process. The other terms don’t describe the overall method: sample rate is about how frequently data is captured (affecting size but not the compression process itself), and a packet is a unit used in network transmission, not a method for shrinking files.

Reducing file size is accomplished by data compression. It works by encoding information more efficiently, often removing redundant data, so the same content takes up fewer bits. There are two common forms: lossless compression, which lets the original data be perfectly reconstructed, and lossy compression, which achieves higher reductions by discarding some detail. The general process name is data compression, while lossless compression is just a specific type of that process. The other terms don’t describe the overall method: sample rate is about how frequently data is captured (affecting size but not the compression process itself), and a packet is a unit used in network transmission, not a method for shrinking files.