What is the process that condenses files to be stored in less space and…

Concept

Data compression is the process of re-encoding data so that the same information occupies fewer bits. Because the file becomes smaller, it needs less storage space and takes less time to transmit over a network or the Internet.

Application

The clue "condenses files to be stored in less space" and "sent faster over the Internet" describes exactly this: shrinking the file's size to save space and reduce transfer time. The general term for this technique is data compression.

Contrast

• Data compression — the size of the file's representation is reduced while the information is preserved (the intended answer).

• "Zipping" — only one popular tool/format that performs compression, not the name of the general process; it is too narrow.

• "Data condensation" — not a standard computing term for reducing file size.

• Defragmentation — reorganises scattered file fragments on a disk so they sit contiguously; it speeds up disk access but does NOT make the file smaller or faster to send over the Internet.