What is machine code?

Question

Options

• AA medium-level programming language consisting of the assembly code designed for the computer processor
• BA low-level programming language consisting of binary digits/bit that the computer reads and understands
• CA high-level programming language consisting of instruction lists that humans can read and understand
• DA low-level programming language consisting of hexadecimal digits that make up high-level language instructions

• A
  4% (2)
• B
  75% (40)
• C
  13% (7)
• D
  8% (4)

Explanation

Option B is correct because machine code is the most fundamental level of programming - raw binary (0s and 1s) that the CPU directly executes without any translation layer. It is the native language of the processor itself.

Why the others are wrong:

• A describes assembly language, not machine code. Assembly uses human-readable mnemonics (like MOV, ADD) and is one step above machine code - an assembler converts it to binary.
• C describes high-level languages (like Python or Java), which prioritize human readability and require compilers or interpreters to eventually reach machine code.
• D is a partial trick - hexadecimal is sometimes used to represent binary machine code for readability, but machine code itself is binary digits, not hex, and it doesn't "make up" high-level instructions.

Memory tip: Think of the word "machine" - the physical machine (CPU) only understands electrical signals: on (1) or off (0). So machine code = binary = the language the machine hardware literally speaks.

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