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RT 202 > 2. Basic Computer Principles > Flashcards

2. Basic Computer Principles Flashcards

1
Q

a programmable electronic device that can store, retrieve, and process data

A

Computer

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2
Q

In its basic form, a computer consists of:

A

input, output, and processing devices

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3
Q

Input devices

A

keyboards, mice, microphones, barcode readers, touch screens, and image scanners

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4
Q

Common output devices

A

monitors, printers, and speakers

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5
Q

The processing of information is done in the ______

A

Central Processing Unit (CPU)

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6
Q

The computer takes data from the user and processes it using a machine language of 1s and 0s, known as ______

A

Binary Code

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7
Q

is performed by a series of transistors, which are switches that are either on or off

A

Computer Processing

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8
Q

If the transistor circuit is closed and current passes through, it is assigned a value of _____

A

1

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9
Q

If no current passes because of the circuit being open, it is assigned a value of ____

A

0

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10
Q

Each 1 and 0 represents a ____

A

bit

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11
Q

is a single unit of data

A

Bit

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12
Q

is made up of eight bits and is the amount of memory needed to store one alphanumeric character

A

Byte

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13
Q

is made from a heavy metal and has two major functions

A

The Box/The computer encasement

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14
Q

The Box/The computer encasement has two major functions:

A
  1. To hold all of the components in a relatively cool, clean, and safe environment
  2. To shield the outside environment from the radio frequencies being emitted by the electronic components of the computer
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15
Q

The box comes in two major configurations:

A

Desktop model and Tower model

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16
Q

_____ is generally positioned in a horizontal box, whereas a _____ is in a vertical box

A

Desktop model,

Tower model

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17
Q
  1. is generally placed underneath the desk within arm’s reach of the operator.
  2. are placed on the desk underneath the monitor
A
  1. Tower model

2. Desktop models

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18
Q

is the largest circuitry board inside the computer, and

it contains many important small components to make the computer function properly

A

Motherboard

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19
Q

BIOS

A

Basic Input/Output System

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20
Q

CMOS

A

Complementary Metal Oxide Semiconductor

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21
Q

CPU

A

Central Processing Unit

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22
Q

Central Processing Unit (CPU) is also known as

A

Microprocessor

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23
Q

is a small chip found on the motherboard

A

Central Processing Unit (CPU), or Microprocessor

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24
Q

is the brain of the computer

A

Microprocessor

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25
Q

it consists of a series of transistors that are arranged to manipulate data received from the software.

A

Microprocessor

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26
Q

AMD

A

Advanced Micro Devices

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27
Q

The CPU’s basic tasks are:

A

to read data from storage,
manipulate the data,
and then move the data back to storage or send it to external devices, such as monitors or printers

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28
Q

is named after its manufacturer and the speed at which it manipulates data

A

Microprocessor

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29
Q

The first microprocessor to be placed in a computer was made in ____ by ____

A

1979,

Intel

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30
Q

The first microprocessor to be placed in a computer was called the

A

8088

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31
Q

8088 had a clock speed of a mere _____

A

4.77MHz

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32
Q

The more modern Pentium 4 microprocessor has speeds upward of _______

A

3.2 to 3.8GHz

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33
Q

To put these speeds in perspective, the 8088 needed about ____ cycles to complete one basic instruction, and the modern Pentium processor can complete ____ instruction per cycle.

A

12, one

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34
Q

contains a simple set of instructions for the computer

A

Basic Input/Output System (BIOS)

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35
Q

is the intermediary between the operating system (OS) and the hardware

A

BIOS

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36
Q

is a series of connections, controllers, and chips that creates the information highway of the computer

A

The Bus

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37
Q

Most modern PCs have what is called a ____________ bus on the motherboard to serve as the connection of information to the various adapters

A

Peripheral Component Interconnect (PCI)

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38
Q

PCI

A

Peripheral Component Interconnect

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39
Q

SCSI

A

Small Computer System Interface

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40
Q

AGP

A

Accelerated Graphics Port

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41
Q

provides the connections for the information to flow within the computer.

A

The Bus

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42
Q

is used to store information currently being processed within the CPU

A

Memory

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43
Q

Memory also known as

A

Random Access Memory (RAM)

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44
Q

short-term storage for open programs

A

RAM

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45
Q

measured in bytes and can be found in configurations such as 128MB, 512MB, and 1 GB

A

Memory

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46
Q

a collection of connectors sticking out of the back of the PC that link adapter cards, drives, printers, scanners, keyboards, mice, and other peripherals that may be used

A

Ports

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47
Q

Types of ports

A

parallel, serial, USB, integrated drive electronics (IDE), and SCSI

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48
Q

is a 25-pin connector found on the back of most modern PCs

A

parallel port

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49
Q

is synonymous with a printer port because it is most

often used for this purpose

A

parallel port

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50
Q

can send 8 bits of data through the connection

A

parallel port

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51
Q

can only send 1 bit of data down a single wire

A

serial port

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52
Q

can be universally used for many of the components plugged into the computer, such as a mouse, which does not require the speed of a parallel port

A

serial port

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53
Q

Most serial ports are of the ____-pin variety, but some can have up to ____-pin connectors

A

9,

25

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54
Q

a common interface connection used between most devices commonly
used today

A

USB

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55
Q

By using USB ports the user can connect up to ____ devices to one single USB port

56
Q

can be found on the motherboard and connect the hard drive, floppy drive, and CD-ROM drive to the board.

57
Q

It is the fastest and most versatile way for a PC to communicate with its peripherals

58
Q

The most common SCSI devices are

A

hard drives, CD-ROM drives, scanners, and printers

59
Q

is a special type of memory chip that uses a small rechargeable or lithium battery to retain information about
the PC’s hardware while the computer is turned off

A

Complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS)

60
Q

is also the location of the system clock that keeps track of the date and time

61
Q

contains all of the circuitry for recording and reproducing sound on
the PC

A

Sound Card

62
Q

It may be in the form of an expansion card, or it may be built into several chips found on the motherboard

A

Sound Card

63
Q

The sound card interprets many different file types such as

A 
waveform audio (WAV) 
files, 
moving picture experts group audio layer 3 (MP3) files, 
musical instrument 
digital interface (MIDI) files
64
Q

NIC

A

Network Interface Card

65
Q

will have an RJ-45 adapter jack at the rear of the PC for the acceptance of a
twisted-pair wire with RJ-45 connector

A

Network Interface Card (NIC)

66
Q

can come either as an expansion card plugged into a slot or as part of the PC motherboard circuitry

A

Network Interface Card (NIC)

67
Q

will enable

this PC to connect to other PCs that are on the same network

A

Network Interface Card (NIC)

68
Q

delivers all electricity to the PC and contains a fan

to help keep the inside of the computer cool

A

Power Supply

69
Q

it contains a transformer that converts the wall outlet alternating current (AC) to direct current (DC) in the voltages appropriate for each powered device

A

Power Supply

70
Q

Power supply are rated in

71
Q

designed to take the brunt of the force if the computer ever receives a power surge.

A

Power Supply

72
Q

main repository for programs and documents on a PC

A

Hard Drive

73
Q

made up of many hard, thin magnetic platters that are stacked one on top of the other with only enough space for a read-write head to glide over the surface of
the disks

A

Hard Drive

74
Q

is a thin injection-molded polycarbonate plastic disk

75
Q

is impressed from a mold to form microscopic bumps that indicate either a 1 or 0 to the computer

76
Q

CD

A

Compact Disk

77
Q

DVD

A

Digital Versatile Disk

78
Q

GB of single sided DVD

79
Q

GB of double sided DVD

80
Q

_____ is used behind the inner layers, and _____ is used behind the outer layers

A

Aluminum,

Gold

81
Q

is semireflective so that it allows the laser to penetrate through to the inner layers of plastic

82
Q

three main types of CD/DVD drives available in today’s market:

A

ROM (read-only memory), R (write once–read many),

RW (read and write many times)

83
Q

is found on the front of the encasement of a computer

A

CD/DVD drive

84
Q

There are two basic types of keyboards:

A

soft and click

85
Q

If there is an audible sound when

the keys are depressed, it is a

A

click keyboard

86
Q

The first keyboards made by IBM were

A

click keyboards

87
Q

a device with two or sometimes three buttons that allow the user to move the
computer’s cursor to activate and perform functions within the computer’s software

88
Q

There are five types of mouse connections (all are serial-type connections):

A 
Serial mouse
Bus mouse
PS/2 mouse
USB mouse
Infrared mouse
89
Q

uses a standard serial connection

A

Serial mouse

90
Q

uses a dedicated controller card that is connected to the motherboard

91
Q

a special connection for mice that does not use the standard serial port

92
Q

attaches to a USB port

93
Q

uses the computer’s infrared port (wireless)

A

Infrared mouse

94
Q

There are three types of mice commonly used:

A

Mechanical,
Optical,
Optomechanical

95
Q

this mouse uses a hard rubber ball inside an opening on the bottom
that is surrounded by sensing devices

A

Mechanical

96
Q

this mouse has a high-intensity diode that bounces light off surfaces and
back to a receiver inside the mouse

97
Q

this mouse is a hybrid of mechanical and optical mouse. It uses a rubber ball that interacts with rollers that trigger the optical sensors within the mouse

A

Optomechanical

98
Q

are devices that capture drawings or written paper documents and convert them into a digital image or document that can be edited

99
Q

are used to convert an analog (film) image into a digital image

A

Special Image Scanners

100
Q

receive sound data from a sound card that is either built into the motherboard or is an expansion card

101
Q

are used to record voice or to use voice dictation software

A

Microphones

102
Q

4 types of Monitors

A

CRT,
LCD,
OLED,
AMOLED

103
Q

CRT

A

Cathode Ray Tube

104
Q

LCD

A

Liquid Crystal Display

105
Q

OLED

A

Organic Light-Emitting Diode

106
Q

AMOLED

A

Active Matrix Organic Light-Emitting Diode

107
Q

A basic picture element on a display is known as

108
Q

is an individual

controllable set of dot triads

109
Q

is a grouping of one red dot, one green dot, and one blue dot

110
Q

The number of pixels on a display is known as its

A

resolution

111
Q

can also be defined as the process or capability

of distinguishing between individual parts of an image that are adjacent.

A

Resolution

112
Q

Pixels are

arranged in a _____,

113
Q

a rectangular or square table of numbers that represents the pixel
intensity to be displayed on the monitor

114
Q

Common screen resolutions are

A

1024 × 768,
1280 × 1024,
2048 × 1536, and
2048 × 2560

115
Q

common in image viewing applications

A

2048 × 1536, and

2048 × 2560

116
Q

is the measurement of how close the dots are located to one another within a pixel

117
Q

the most important measurements of a monitor is

A

Refresh rate or vertical scanning rate

118
Q

is the measure of how fast the monitor rewrites the screen or the number of times that the image is redrawn on the display each second

A

Refresh rate

119
Q

Most refresh rates on today’s computers are set between ___ and
___Hz; the image is redrawn ___ to ___ times per second

120
Q

is the ratio of the width of the monitor to the height of the monitor

A

Aspect Ratio

121
Q

Most CRT monitors have an aspect ratio of

122
Q

LCD monitors have a ratio of

123
Q

is measured diagonally from one corner of the display to the opposite corner

A

Viewable area

124
Q

are the most popular monitors on the market

A

CRT monitors

125
Q

produces images by shining or reflecting light through a layer of liquid crystal and a series of color filters

A

LCD monitor

126
Q

are still new to the consumer market

A

Plasma Displays

127
Q

have been heavily used in government and military applications since the late 1960s

A

Plasma Displays

128
Q

are made up of many small fluorescent lights that are illuminated to form the color of the image

A

Plasma Displays

129
Q

is the software that controls the computer hardware and acts as a bridge between applications and the hardware

A

operating system (OS)

130
Q

There are three major OSs in use today:

A

Windows by Microsoft, the Macintosh OS, and UNIX/Linux.

131
Q

There are four types of OSs:

A

Real-time OS,
Single-user, single-task,
Single-user, multitask,
Multiuser

132
Q

used to control specific machinery, scientific instruments, and industrial systems, such as digital x-ray consoles found on modern x-ray equipment

A

Real-time OS

133
Q

designed so that a computer can effectively do one task for one person at a time, such as a Palm OS for the hand-held personal organizer

A

Single-user, single-task

134
Q

designed for one user to perform multiple functions at the same time, such as the OS on a PC

A

Single-user, multitask

135
Q

designed to handle multiple users and multiple tasks at the same time, such as UNIX running on a large server or as a mainframe computer supporting
an entire company

136
Q

UNIX was first developed by _____ and was given out free to universities

A

Bell Laboratories

137
Q

is known as open-source software; programmers can make changes in the code as long as the changes are shared with others

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