Your computer insists on unzipping a folder before you can use it. Here is what compression actually does, using the vacuum-bag trick you already understand.
You have run into one. A folder arrives, you go to open it, and your computer insists on unzipping it first, like it is wearing a coat you have to take off at the door.
A compressed version of one or more files, squeezed down so they take up less space and travel faster.
Picture packing for a trip. You have a fat pile of clothes and a suitcase that is too small. So you grab one of those vacuum bags, stuff everything in, and suck all the air out. Suddenly the pile is a fraction of the size and easy to carry. Nothing is missing. You just removed the empty space.
A zip file does the same thing to data. It hunts for patterns and repetition, then writes them down in a clever shorthand instead of spelling everything out the long way. Less space, exact same contents.
When you unzip, you are letting the air back in. The shorthand gets expanded, every file returns exactly as it was, and nothing is lost along the way. That is the whole magic. It is a temporary squeeze, not a permanent trim.
Zipping is handy any time space or speed matters, whether you are emailing a batch of photos or saving room on your drive. A zip can also be locked with a password, which is where compression starts shaking hands with encryption.
A zip full of already-squeezed files, like photos or videos, barely shrinks at all. Those were vacuum-packed before you ever got there.
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