What is an internet protocol (IP) address?

What is an internet protocol (IP) address?
To exchange data, the billions of computers on the internet clearly need some way to identify themselves. Host addressing is built in to the internet protocol itself in the form of internet protocol addresses. Or, as they are much more commonly known, IP addresses.

Credits: Talking: Geoffrey Challen (Assistant Professor, Computer Science and Engineering, University at Buffalo). Producing: Greg Bunyea (Undergraduate, Computer Science and Engineering, University at Buffalo).

Part of the https://www.internet-class.org online internet course. A blue Systems Research Group (https://blue.cse.buffalo.edu) production.