1. Why Should You Learn to Write Programs?

Question 1

bug

Answer 1

An error in a program.

Question 2

central processing unit

Answer 2

The heart of any computer. It is what runs the software that we write; also called “CPU” or “the processor”.

Question 3

compile

Answer 3

To translate a program written in a high-level language into a low-level language all at once, in preparation for later execution.

Question 4

high-level language

Answer 4

A programming language like Python that is designed to be easy for humans to read and write.

Question 5

interactive mode

Answer 5

A way of using the Python interpreter by typing commands and expressions at the prompt.

Question 6

interpret

Answer 6

To execute a program in a high-level language by translating it one line at a time.

Question 7

low-level language

Answer 7

A programming language that is designed to be easy for a computer to execute; also called “machine code” or “assembly language”.

Question 8

machine code

Answer 8

The lowest-level language for software, which is the language that is directly executed by the central processing unit (CPU).

Question 9

main memory

Answer 9

Stores programs and data. Main memory loses its information when the power is turned off.

Question 10

parse

Answer 10

To examine a program and analyze the syntactic structure.

Question 11

portability

Answer 11

A property of a program that can run on more than one kind of computer.

Question 12

print function

Answer 12

An instruction that causes the Python interpreter to display a value on the screen.

Question 13

problem solving

Answer 13

The process of formulating a problem, finding a solution, and
expressing the solution.

Question 14

program

Answer 14

A set of instructions that specifies a computation.

Question 15

prompt

Answer 15

When a program displays a message and pauses for the user to type some input to the program.

Question 16

secondary memory

Answer 16

Stores programs and data and retains its information even when the power is turned off. Generally slower than main memory. Examples of secondary memory include disk drives and flash memory in USB sticks.

Question 17

semantics

Answer 17

The meaning of a program.

Question 18

semantic error

Answer 18

An error in a program that makes it do something other than what the programmer intended.

Question 19

source code

Answer 19

A program in a high-level language.

Question 20

What is the function of the secondary memory in a computer?

Answer 20

Store information for the long term, even beyond a power cycle.

Question 21

What is a program?

Answer 21

The definition of a program at its most basic is a sequence of Python statements that have been crafted to do something.

Question 22

What is the difference between a compiler and an interpreter?

Answer 22

An Interpreter reads the source code of the program as written by the programmer, parses the source code, and interprets the instructions on the fly.

Compiler needs to be handed the entire program in a fil, and then it runs a process to translate the high-level source code into machine language and then the compiler puts the resulting machine language into a file for later exection.

Question 23

Which of the following contains “machine code”?

a) The Python interpreter
b) The keyboard
c) Python source file
d) A word processing document

Answer 23

a) The Python interpreter

Question 24

What is wrong with the following code:

>>> primt 'Hello world!'
File "", line 1
primt 'Hello world!'
^
SyntaxError: invalid syntax
>>>

Answer 24

It should be print and not primt.

print ‘Hello world!’

Question 25

Where in the computer is a variable such as “x” stored after the following Python line finishes?

x = 123

Answer 25

Main Memory

Question 26

What will the following program print out:

x = 43
x = x + 1
print (x)

Answer 26

44

Question 27

Explain each of the following using an example of a human capaibility:

1) Central processing unit
2) Main Memory
3) Secondary Memory
4) Input Device
5) Output Device.

For example, “What is the human equivalent to a Central Processing Unit”?

Answer 27

1. CPU = Heart
2. Main Memory = Brain (subconscious)
3. Secondary Memory = Brain (Conscious Thought)
4. Input Device = Ears, Hands
5. Output Device = Mouth

Question 28

How do you fix a “Syntax Error”?

Answer 28

The line and character that Python indicates in a syntax error may just be a starting point for your investigation.