Brainscape's Knowledge GenomeTM

Browse over 1 million classes created by top students, professors, publishers, and experts.


See full index

GCSE - Computing > 2. Hardware > Flashcards

2. Hardware Flashcards

1
Q

What does CPU stand for?

A

Central Processing Unit

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
2
Q

What does the CPU do?

A

The hardware that executes programs and manages the rest of the hardware.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
3
Q

What are the two main parts of the CPU?

A

Control Unit - Sends electrical signals to components to control them
ALU - Carries out all the logic and calculations

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
4
Q

What does ALU stand for?

A

Arithmetic Logic Unit

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
5
Q

What things does the CPU need to access?

A
  • Main Memory (RAM)
  • Storage devices (Hard disk)
  • Input/Output Devices
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
6
Q

How does the CPU access the things it needs to access?

A

A system of Buses (wires).

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
7
Q

What is measured in Ghz?

A

The amount of instructions that can be carried out per second. (Clock speed)

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
8
Q

How many calculations per second is 1 Ghz?

A

1 billion

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
9
Q

What is a multi-core processor?

A

One component where two or more CPUs (processors) or ‘cores’ work together to improve the clock speed.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
10
Q

What is cache memory?

A

Memory close to the core processor with very rapid response. It is used to store instructions before they are executed and temporary data.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
11
Q

What is architecture?

A

How large the gap between transistors is and how many transistors are on a chip.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
12
Q

What is memory?

A

How computers store data and programs.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
13
Q

What is RAM?

A
  • ‘Main Memory’
  • Loads programs and data before running
  • Storing generated data before they are stored permanently
  • Allows CPU to access data from hard disk
  • Volatile -> Loses content when power is turned off
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
14
Q

What is ROM?

A
  • Holds programs that start up the computer (boot up programs) and programs that have information about the hardware
  • Non-Volatile -> ‘Remembers’ state
  • Cannot easily be overwritten
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
15
Q

What are the main differences between RAM and ROM?

A

RAM
• Loses its data when computer is switched off
• Temporary storage that is constantly being written to and read from
ROM
• Retains its data even when computer is switched off
• ‘Read only’ and cannot easily be changed by the program or user

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
16
Q

What does RAM stand for?

A

Random Access Memory

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
17
Q

What does ROM stand for?

A

Read Only Memory

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
18
Q

What is virtual memory?

A

When there is not enough space on RAM, an area of the hard disk is used for temporary memory. This is, however, much slower than RAM.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
19
Q

What are some examples of magnetic devices?

A
  • Tape Drive / Digital Audio Tape
  • Hard Disk Drive
  • Floppy Disk Drive / Disk
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
20
Q

How do magnetic devices work?

A

By setting an area of magnetic coated material to NS or EW setting. This can then be scanned by a read/write head.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
21
Q

What are some examples of optical devices?

A
  • CD - Rom, CD - R, CD - RW
  • DVD - Rom, DVD - R/RW/RAM
  • Blu-Ray
  • HD-DVD
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
22
Q

How do optical devices work?

A

They are read using light - usually laser light (lighter and darker areas are detected). Commercially, troughs are cut into the disk surface. At home, colour change is used.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
23
Q

What are some examples of solid state technology?

A
  • Solid State Hard Disc
  • Memory Stick (USB)
  • Flash Memory (camera type)
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
24
Q

How does solid state technology work?

A

There are no moving parts (solid state). Data is stored by applying a voltage to a grid of transistors and enabling or disabling current. NAND gates are used.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
25
Q

Why are magnetic drives not appropriate for portable devices?

A 
Moving Parts
Slower data transfer times
Less robust
Larger in size
Uses more power than a solid state
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
26
Q

What are buses?

A

The circuits/internal wiring of that connect the processor and main memory.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
27
Q

Remember to look at the diagram for how the CPU moves around instructions.

A

Pg 9 of textbook

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
28
Q

Describe the fetch-execute cycle.

A

• Instruction fetched from main memory
• Control unit decodes instruction
• ALU executes instruction
(There may be storage in main memory after this)

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
29
Q

What is the unit for clock speed?

A

Gigahertz (GHz)

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
30
Q

What is clock speed?

A

The number of cycles per second that a system is capable of.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
31
Q

What is latency?

A

The time taken waiting for components to respond.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
32
Q

Summarise the purpose of the CPU.

A
  • Fetching data and instructions from main memory
  • Decoding and executing instructions
  • Performing calculations
  • Managing the movement of instructions and data to and from peripheral devices
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
33
Q

What factors affect the performance of a computer/CPU?

A
  • Clock speed
  • Number of cores
  • Cache memory
  • Architecture - how large the gaps between transistors are and how many transistors there are
  • Speed of other components - can create bottlenecks
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
34
Q

What does the control unit do?

A

Sends electrical signals to components to control them.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
35
Q

What does the ALU do?

A

Carries out all the logic and calculations.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
36
Q

What is a quad-core processor?

A

When there are 4 processing units within the CPU.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
37
Q

With what factors can different types of memory be compared?

A
  • Access speed
  • Price
  • Volatility
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
38
Q

Why does the processor load programs into the main memory before executing them instead of getting them straight from the hard drive?

A

Access speed from the hard drive is very slow, so the main memory allows the computer to run faster.

39
Q

What is needed if many programs are running at once?

A

Lots of RAM.

40
Q

Sort these by access speed: Main memory, Cache, Virtual memory, Processor

A

1) Processor
2) Cache
3) Main memory
4) Virtual memory

41
Q

Give an example of volatile and non-volatile memory.

A

Volatile: RAM

Non-volatile: Hard disk

42
Q

What is the bootstrap loader?

A
  • The piece of software that loads the operating system.

* It’s the first program that is loaded into main memory from ROM when a computer is switched on.

43
Q

What is secondary storage?

A
  • Devices such as hard disks and memory sticks which are not the main memory.
  • They are long term and non-volatile.

(Basically any storage that is not main memory)

44
Q

What is the need for secondary storage?

A

To allow files to be stored for a long period of time. Main memory can’t do this.

45
Q

Describe how a program is loaded.

A
  • Program is loaded into main memory
  • The processor is given the address of the program in main memory
  • The processor can run the program instruction by instruction
  • Each time the processor fetches an instruction, decodes it, and then runs it
45
Q

What is the fetch-execute cycle?

A

The cycle that the CPU goes through as it fetches instructions from memory, decodes them and executes them. This repeats.

45
Q

What is the primary memory?

A

Main memory (RAM)

45
Q

What factors must be considered when picking a type of secondary storage for a specific purpose?

A
  • Capacity
  • Access speed
  • Portability
  • Durability
  • Reliability
46
Q

What are some common secondary storage types?

A
  • Optical
  • Magnetic
  • Solid state
47
Q

What is the reliability of a storage technology?

A

How long it will last.

48
Q

What is the durability of a storage technology?

A

How easily it is damaged (e.g. by dropping)

49
Q

Evaluate magnetic memory in terms of cost, capacity, access speed, portability, durability and reliability.

A
  • Cost: Cheap
  • Capacity: High
  • Speed: Slow
  • Portability: Usually not very portable
  • Durability: Vulnerable to movement, heat and magnetic fields
  • Reliability: Very good
50
Q

Evaluate optical memory in terms of cost, capacity, access speed, portability, durability and reliability.

A
  • Cost: Cheap
  • Capacity: Low
  • Speed: Very slow
  • Portability: Portable
  • Durability: Not too durable -> Not good for long term
  • Reliability: Good, but degrades over time
51
Q

Evaluate solid state memory in terms of cost, capacity, access speed, portability, durability and reliability.

A
  • Cost: Expensive
  • Capacity: Medium
  • Speed: Fast
  • Portability: Portable (except internal solid state / flash storage)
  • Durability: Very durable
  • Reliability: Very reliable
52
Q

Aside from portable storage such as USB drives, what can solid state memory be used for?

A
  • As a replacement for a hard disk in notebooks and tablets (internal solid state) or cameras and phones (memory cards) since it is a non-volatile type of RAM.
  • It can’t be used as a replacement for the main memory since the access speed is too slow.
53
Q

What is the processor?

A

The component in the computer that fetches, decodes and executes instructions.

54
Q

What is flash memory?

A

Basically, it is solid state memory, so it has no moving parts. The two terms are used synonymously sometimes.

55
Q

Compare the different types of storage by capacity?

A

Optical: Low
Solid state / Flash: Medium
Magnetic: High

56
Q

Describe how memory changes are advancing computers.

A
  • Capacity and density are increasing -> Increased number of transistors -> Doubling every 12 to 17 months
  • Speed -> Flash memory is replacing magnetic hard disks
  • Cost of memory decreasing
57
Q

What is an input device?

A

Any device that helps to input data into a computer.

58
Q

What is an output device?

A

Any device that outputs data from the computer to the user.

59
Q

How does a keyboard work?

A

Pressing a key generates a character code which is sent to the computer.

60
Q

How does a mouse work?

A

The mouse detects movements using either a ball or a reflected light source under the mouse.

61
Q

What is OMR and how does it work?

A
  • Optical Mark Recognition is used for detecting answers on multiple-choice tests, forms and lottery tickets.
  • Works by reflecting light off the boxes, which reflect less light if they are shaded.
62
Q

What is OCR and how does it work?

A
  • Optical Character Recognition is similar to OMR, but is used to convert markings into text
  • Works by reflecting light off the markings
63
Q

What is a sip-and-puff switch?

A

An assistive input device which detects breathing in order to control a computer for a disabled person.

64
Q

Name two types of monitor.

A
  • CRT Monitor - Cathode Ray Tube

* TFT Monitor - Thin Film Transistor

65
Q

What is a CRT monitor and where is it used?

A
  • Cathode Ray Tube Monitor
  • Heavy, old-fashioned monitor that takes up a lot of space
  • Used only in places like factories because they are more robust
66
Q

What is a TFT monitor and where is it used?

A
  • Thin Film Transistor Monitor

* Newer, thinner type of screen which most people have at home on laptops

67
Q

What is LCD technology?

A

Liquid Crystal Display - an earlier version of TFT screens

68
Q

Name four types of printer.

A
  • Inkjet printer
  • Laser printer
  • Dot-matrix printer
  • Braille printer
69
Q

How does an inkjet printer work and what are the advantages and disadvantages?

A
  • Works by spraying ink onto the page
  • Advantages: Good for low cost printing of text
  • Disadvantages: Slow, Smudged by highlighter
70
Q

How does a laser printer work and what are the advantages and disadvantages?

A
  • Laser beam is moved along page, creating static charge. Toner powder is attracted to this and is sealed by heat rollers.
  • Advantages: Faster, Quieter, Doesn’t smudge, Better images
  • Disadvantages: Expensive
71
Q

What is a dot-matrix printer and how does it work?

A
  • Printers which existed before inkjet and laser printers

* Work like a typewriter as a print head has to strike the paper through an ink ribbon to print text

72
Q

What is a Braille printer?

A

An impact printer that creates raised dots to allow blind people to read.

73
Q

What is an actuator?

A

A device that performs some sort of action (based on inputs). E.g. A voice sensor might trigger a motor to close some curtains

77
Q

Give some examples of inputs in a supermarket checkout.

A
  • Barcode scanner
  • Scales
  • Touch-screen
  • Keypad
  • Chip & pin reader
  • Magnetic stripe reader
78
Q

Give some examples of outputs in a supermarket checkout.

A
  • LED display
  • Receipt printer
  • Speaker
  • Touch-screen
79
Q

Give some examples of inputs in an automated home for a disabled person.

A
  • Microphone
  • Pressure sensor
  • Movement sensor
  • Digital camera
  • Touch-screen
80
Q

Give some examples of outputs in an automated home for a disabled person.

A
  • Lights
  • Motors
  • Monitor
  • Speakers
  • Touch-screen
  • Switches
81
Q

Give some examples of inputs for monitoring a patient in hospital.

A
  • Heart rate sensor
  • Blood pressure sensor
  • Breathing sensor
  • Temperature sensor
  • Touch-screen
  • Buttons
82
Q

Give some examples of outputs for monitoring a patient in hospital.

A
  • Warning lights
  • Speakers
  • Monitor
  • Printer
  • Touch-screen
  • LED display
83
Q

What is a Boolean expression?

A

An expression that is either true or false (e.g. X=10)

84
Q

What is a truth table?

A

A table that shows all the possible combinations of inputs and their logical
output value.

85
Q

What are the main logical operators?

A

AND, OR, NOT

86
Q

What is a logic diagram?

A

A diagram of a circuit showing logic gates with inputs and the output these
generate.

87
Q

What is a transistor?

A

A tiny switch that can be set to on or off.

88
Q

Why do computers use binary?

A

They contain thousands of transistors which can be set to either on or off.

89
Q

Remember to revise truth tables.

A

Pg 27 of textbook.

90
Q

What is the circuit symbol for an AND gate?

A

A D shape.

See Pg 28 of textbook

91
Q

What is the circuit symbol for an OR gate?

A

A D shape with a curved left edge.

See Pg 28 of textbook

92
Q

What is the circuit symbol for a NOT gate?

A

A triangle with a circle after the point.

See Pg 28 of textbook

93
Q

How can an AND gate symbol be turned into a NANAD gate symbol?

A

A small circle is added just after the symbol.

94
Q

What is the best way to complete a table for a complex logic gate, like a NAND gate?

A

Work through it stage by stag. E.g. Write the results of AND first, and then reverse these to get NAND

GCSE - Computing (7 decks)

Brainscape helps you reach your goals faster, through stronger study habits.
© 2025 Bold Learning Solutions. Terms and Conditions