Final answer:
When physical records are scanned, they can be stored as either digital image files, which cannot be edited directly, or in editable digital formats. Technological advancements have made it possible to store vast amounts of information in compact digital formats, as seen in the development and eventual widespread use of CDs and DVDs over older storage media like vinyl records and audio tapes.
Step-by-step explanation:
Physical records that have been scanned can be transformed into two main types of digital files: image files and editable format files. Scanned documents saved as image files become a sort of digital photograph of the document, which may be in formats such as JPEG or TIFF. In contrast, when saved in an editable format, these documents can be modified; examples of such formats include PDF with OCR (Optical Character Recognition) capabilities or word processing files like DOCX.
Historically, advancements in digital storage have been significant. For instance, music CDs and DVDs, which are now being phased out by streaming services, were a major leap from audio cassettes and vinyl records. CDs have a much larger information-storage capacity, allowing for an entire encyclopedia to be stored on one CD. This capacity results from the precise use of lasers to create tiny pits in the CD's surface, a process that is accurately illustrated in Figure 30.42. These pits are then read by an infrared laser beam, which reveals the digital pattern and the information embedded within them. The transition from physical to digital formats represents a significant change in how we store and access information.