Machine language fundamentals Which statement best describes machine language in computer systems?

Introduction / Context:
Machine language is the most fundamental level of software representation. Every processor executes instructions encoded as patterns of bits. Understanding what machine language is, and how it differs from algorithms, flowcharts, or higher level representations, is core knowledge for computer organization and operating systems courses.

Given Data / Assumptions:

• The question asks which statement is true about machine language.
• Machine language refers to binary opcodes and operands interpreted directly by a CPU.
• Other choices describe programming concepts that are not machine language.

Concept / Approach:

A CPU decodes instruction words composed of fields such as opcode, addressing mode, and operand. These fields are binary numbers. Although assemblers and higher level languages provide human readability, they must ultimately translate to these binary encodings for execution. Therefore the defining characteristic of machine language is direct communication with hardware using 1s and 0s.

Step-by-Step Solution:

Verification / Alternative check:

Assembler listings show mnemonics side by side with hex or binary opcodes. Disassemblers convert binary back to mnemonics, confirming that executable code is stored and executed as binary digits.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:

Repeated execution (a) is a behavior pattern. Data flow depiction (b) is documentation. An algorithm (c) is language independent and not specific to binary encoding.

Common Pitfalls:

Confusing algorithmic steps or pseudocode with actual machine instruction formats; assuming hexadecimal is different from binary (hex is only a compact representation of binary).

Final Answer:

The language which communicates with the computer using only the binary digits 1 and 0.