What is a Link?

S0-SA3-0338

Grade Level:

Pre-School – Class 2

All domains without exception

Definition

What is it?

A link is like a bridge or a connection that joins two things together. In computers, it's a special word, picture, or button that, when clicked, takes you to another page, document, or part of the same page.

Simple Example

Quick Example

Imagine you are reading about cricket on a website. You see the words 'Virat Kohli' in a different colour. If you click on 'Virat Kohli', it takes you directly to a new page with his full biography and stats. Those words 'Virat Kohli' are a link!

Worked Example

Step-by-Step

Let's say you want to find your school's annual day photos on the school website.

1. You open your school's website on your phone or computer.
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2. You look for a section called 'Gallery' or 'Events'. You see the word 'Gallery' is blue and underlined, which is a common sign of a link.
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3. You move your mouse pointer over 'Gallery' (or tap it on a touch screen). The pointer often changes to a hand symbol.
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4. You click on 'Gallery'.
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5. Immediately, the website changes, and you are taken to a new page showing all the different photo albums, including 'Annual Day 2023'. This happened because 'Gallery' was a link.
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6. You then click on the 'Annual Day 2023' link to see the photos.

Answer: Clicking on the 'Gallery' link took you to the photo albums page.

Why It Matters

Links are super important because they help us navigate and find information quickly on the internet. Without them, every website would be a dead end! Understanding links is key for future careers in web development, digital marketing, and even creating educational content.

Common Mistakes

MISTAKE: Thinking all coloured or underlined text is a link. | CORRECTION: Not all special text is a link. Look for the mouse pointer changing to a hand symbol (on computers) or try tapping to see if it responds.

MISTAKE: Expecting a link to always open in a new tab. | CORRECTION: Links can open in the same tab or a new one. This depends on how the website creator designed it. You can often right-click (or long-press) on a link to choose 'Open link in new tab'.

MISTAKE: Not understanding that a link can take you to a file (like a PDF) instead of another webpage. | CORRECTION: Links are versatile! They can lead to other web pages, pictures, videos, or even downloadable files like your exam timetable in PDF format.

Practice Questions

Try It Yourself

QUESTION: Your friend sends you a message with 'Click here for the new movie trailer!' and the words 'Click here' are blue. What is 'Click here'? | ANSWER: It is a link.

QUESTION: You are on a news website. You see a picture of a famous cricketer. If you click on the picture, and it takes you to an article about them, what does that picture act as? | ANSWER: The picture acts as a link.

QUESTION: Your school website has a section 'Contact Us'. When you click on it, you go to a page with phone numbers and an email address. If you click on the email address, it opens your email app. How many links did you use in total to open your email app? | ANSWER: Two links. First, the 'Contact Us' link, then the email address link.

MCQ

Quick Quiz

What is the main purpose of a link on a website?

To make the text colourful

To play music in the background

To connect different pages or parts of a website

To show advertisements

The Correct Answer Is:

The main purpose of a link is to create connections and allow users to navigate between different pieces of information or sections. Options A, B, and D are not the primary function of a link.

Real World Connection

In the Real World

When you use apps like Google Maps to find directions, clicking on a restaurant name can often be a link that takes you to its menu or reviews. Or, when you're checking your exam results online, the button to view your scorecard is essentially a link that loads your specific result document.

Key Vocabulary

Key Terms

HYPERLINK: Another name for a link, especially on the internet. | NAVIGATION: The act of moving from one place to another, often using links. | CLICK: The action of pressing a mouse button or tapping a screen to activate a link. | WEBSITE: A collection of related web pages, often connected by links.

What's Next

What to Learn Next

Great job understanding links! Next, you can learn about 'Browsers' and 'URLs'. Browsers are the apps we use to open websites and click links, and URLs are the unique addresses that links take us to. This will help you understand how the internet works even better!