How Does a Computer Know What to Do Next?

Imagine a computer like a robot with a list of instructions. It reads one line at a time and follows it, just like you would if someone told you what to do next. If the instruction says jump, it jumps; if it says wait, it waits. That’s how computers know what to do next, they follow a simple, step-by-step plan.

A computer uses something called code to tell it what to do. Code is like a recipe that the computer reads from top to bottom. Each line in the code is a small instruction, such as add 2 and 3 or print Hello World. By following these instructions one by one, the computer can do amazing things, even play your favorite video game.