Which statement describes lossy compression?

Which statement describes lossy compression?

• A. Data is lost during compression.
• B. No data is discarded.
• C. It never reduces file size.
• D. It compresses text only.

Answer: (A)

Lossy compression works by discarding some data that’s deemed less essential in order to shrink the file size, which inherently means some information is lost. That’s exactly what the statement describes, making it the best description of how lossy compression operates. The other ideas don’t fit for lossy compression: if no data were discarded, you’d have lossless compression, which preserves all original information. Saying it never reduces file size contradicts the purpose of lossy compression, since the goal is to make files smaller. And claiming it compresses text only is inaccurate because lossy methods are used across many media types—images, audio, and video—not just text.

Lossy compression works by discarding some data that’s deemed less essential in order to shrink the file size, which inherently means some information is lost. That’s exactly what the statement describes, making it the best description of how lossy compression operates.

The other ideas don’t fit for lossy compression: if no data were discarded, you’d have lossless compression, which preserves all original information. Saying it never reduces file size contradicts the purpose of lossy compression, since the goal is to make files smaller. And claiming it compresses text only is inaccurate because lossy methods are used across many media types—images, audio, and video—not just text.