1.2 Memory and Storage

Question 1

What does increasing the capacity of RAM do to increase performance

Answer 1

Less likely to use the slower virtual memory
More instructions in use can be stored in the fast to access RAM

Question 2

What is RAM and it’s purpose

Answer 2

Random Access Memory
To store instructions currently in use

Question 3

Properties of primary storage
and how its properties are different to secondary

Answer 3

Usually volatile
Faster to access
Lower capacity than secondary

Question 4

What is virtual memory

Answer 4

Secondary storage used as primary storage

Question 5

When is virtual memory used

Answer 5

When RAM is full but there still needs to be room for instructions in use to go

Question 6

A con of virtual memory and why

Answer 6

It is slower than primary storage because it needs to send the data back to primary storage first

Question 7

2 types of primary storage

Answer 7

RAM and ROM

Question 8

What is ROM and what does it do

Answer 8

Read-Only Memory
Contains the bootstrap system (BIOS) which runs checks on the computer and tells the computer to transfer the operating system from secondary storage to RAM

Question 9

What is firmware

Answer 9

A combination of hardware and software
Permanent software

Question 10

Why is secondary storage needed

Answer 10

To store instructions not currently in use for long term

Question 11

Differences between RAM and ROM

Answer 11

RAM is read and write
RAM is volatile
RAM is used in F-D-E cycle
Ram has higher storage

Question 12

What is primary storage definition

Answer 12

Storage that CPU can quickly access

Question 13

What is secondary storage definition

Answer 13

Storage that stores instructions currently not in use

Question 14

What are the 3 types of secondary storage

Answer 14

Optical
Magnetic
Solid State

Question 15

How does Magnetic drive work

Answer 15

Data is stored as magnetic charge on a spinning disc

Question 16

How does SSD work

Answer 16

Electronically

Question 17

How does optical data work

Answer 17

Pits and lands work as 0s and 1s

Question 18

6 ways of measuring how good a memory type is

Answer 18

Capacity
Cost (per MB)
Portability
Reliability
Durability
Speed

Question 19

What are advantages and disadvantages of magnetic storage

Answer 19

Advantages Disadvantages
Capacity Speed
Cost Reliability

Question 20

What are advantages and disadvantages of solid state storage

Answer 20

Advantages Disadvantages
Capacity Cost
Speed Limited amount of read/writes

Question 21

What are advantages and disadvantages of optical

Answer 21

Advantages Disadvantages
Cost Capacity
Durable Speed

Question 21

State all of the measurements of data in ascending order

Answer 21

Bit
Nibble
Byte
Kilobyte
Megabyte
Gigabyte
Terabyte
Petabyte

Question 22

Why is data stored in binary

Answer 22

Because it is easier for electronics and the components
It is elegant as it is a simple on or off

Question 23

How to workout the size of a text file

Answer 23

bits per character x number of characters

Question 24

How to workout the size of a sound file

Answer 24

Sample rate x bit depth x duration

Question 25

How to workout the size of an image

Answer 25

colour depth x image height x image length

Question 26

105 in binary

Answer 26

01101001

Question 27

10110101 in denary

Answer 27

181

Question 28

187 in hexadecimal

Answer 28

BB

Question 29

What does binary shift left do

Answer 29

Double the number

Question 30

What is an overflow error

Answer 30

When adding binary and the number is more than 8-bits

Question 31

How many bits does ASCII use

Answer 31

8

Question 32

What is a character set

Answer 32

Collection of characters used to represent text in a computer system

Question 32

How many characters can ASCII represent

Answer 32

256

Question 33

How many bits does Unicode use

Answer 33

16

Question 34

What are images made of pixels called

Answer 34

Bit-map

Question 35

How to increase the colour depth of an image

Answer 35

Increase the amount of bits used to represent one pixel

Question 36

What is metadata

Answer 36

Data providing information about one or more aspects of another data

Question 37

How is sound converted to digital data

Answer 37

Analogue sound is picked up by microphone, analogue to digital converters convert the analogue sound into data, by sampling the sound at regular intervals

Question 38

Why is compression needed

Answer 38

Reduce file size

Question 39

What is lossy compression

Answer 39

Some unnecessary data is removed from the file

Question 40

What is lossless compression

Answer 40

Data is temporarily removed from a file but when opening the file the computer is told how to return the file to it's original state

Question 41

Pros of lossy compression

Answer 41

Reduced size Most data removed is unnoticeable Often is necessary to use

Question 42

Cons of lossy compression

Answer 42

Data is lost Worse quality Can't return file to original

Question 43

Pros of lossless compression

Answer 43

Can be used on text No data lost Can return to original

Question 44

Cons of lossless compression

Answer 44

Not that big reduction in file size

Question 45

When is lossy compression used

Answer 45

Image and sound files

Question 46

When is lossless compression used

Answer 46

Text, (image and sound sometimes)