A computer system that is designed to process both analog signals and digital data is known as what type of computer?

Introduction / Context:
Computers can be classified based on the type of data they handle. Some computers work with continuous analog signals, some with discrete digital data and some combine both capabilities. Understanding these categories is important for computer awareness and for appreciating how computers are used in specialised applications such as scientific measurement and control systems.

Given Data / Assumptions:

• The question asks about a computer that processes both analog and digital information.
• Options include hybrid, mainframe, digital, analog and supercomputer.
• We assume standard definitions of analog, digital and hybrid computers.

Concept / Approach:
Analog computers work with continuously varying signals, such as voltage levels representing physical quantities like temperature or pressure. Digital computers process discrete data, using binary digits to represent information. A hybrid computer combines analog and digital components so that it can handle both kinds of data. Mainframe and supercomputer refer to size and power rather than to analog versus digital processing.

Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Identify that the key phrase in the question is process both analog and digital. Step 2: Analog computers exclusively work with continuous signals and were historically used for simulation and control. Step 3: Digital computers, such as typical personal computers, work only with digital data represented in binary form. Step 4: A system that combines these capabilities, typically using analog components for measurement and digital components for logic and control, is called a hybrid computer. Step 5: Mainframe computers are large, powerful digital systems used for enterprise tasks but do not necessarily process analog signals. Step 6: Supercomputers are extremely powerful digital machines used for intensive calculations and simulations, again not defined by analog processing. Step 7: Therefore, the computer that processes both analog and digital data is correctly named a hybrid computer.

Verification / Alternative check:
Textbooks on computer classification often include a table listing analog, digital and hybrid computers. Under hybrid computers, they describe systems used in hospital intensive care units, scientific laboratories and industrial control, where sensors produce analog signals that must be converted to digital form for further processing. This mixed architecture is exactly what the term hybrid computer denotes.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:
Analog computer and digital computer only cover one side of the analog or digital spectrum. Mainframe and supercomputer describe capacity and performance but do not imply any analog capability. A mainframe can be purely digital, and a supercomputer is also a digital device. None of these names capture the combination of analog and digital that the question specifically mentions, so they are not correct choices.

Common Pitfalls:
Some learners see the word supercomputer and assume it is the best answer simply because it sounds advanced. To avoid this error, always match the technical definition in the question. Supercomputers are about speed and power, not about type of data. When you see both analog and digital in one question, think of hybrid as the term that combines the two categories.

Final Answer:
A computer that processes both analog signals and digital data is called a hybrid computer.