Final answer:
Computers convert sound waves into digital data for storage, using sequences of binary ones and zeros. Music CDs and DVDs read this data as binary patterns with a laser.
Step-by-step explanation:
Computers store music by converting sound waves into digital data, which is essentially a sequence of binary ones and zeros. Music CDs and DVDs have utilized this method, storing vast amounts of information compared to their predecessors like audio tapes. The digital storage process involves creating tiny pits on the CD surface with a laser, which can be tightly and accurately spaced to reflect the complexity of sound waves and their associated information. An infrared laser beam reads these pits as the CD spins, interpreting the binary pattern back into the sound waves that our ears perceive as music. The process captures amplitude and frequency, and uses algorithms to compress the data efficiently.
When sound is digitized for storage on CDs, the process captures many aspects of the sound wave, including its amplitude and frequency, which correlate with the loudness and pitch that we recognize in music. The binary data doesn't need to be sped up to save space nor is it split up into two-second chunks; rather, sophisticated algorithms compress the data to manage storage efficiently without losing the integrity of the original sound.