Chapter 1 Flashcards
List the five major components of a computer system.
CPU, Main memory, Storage device, input, and output device
What part of the computer actually runs programs?
CPU
What part of the computer holds data for long periods of time, even when there is no power to the computer?
Secondary Storage Device
What part of the computer collects data from people and from other devices?
Input device
What do you call a program that performs specialized tasks, such as a virus scanner, a file compression program, or data backup program?
Utility program
What part of the computer serves as a work area to store a program and its data while the program is running?
Main memory (RAM)
What part of the computer formats and presents data for people or other devices?
Output device
What do the terms “digital data” and “digital device” mean?
Digital data is data that is stored in binary numbers.
Digital device is any device that works with binary data.
What encoding scheme is extensive enough to represent the characters of many of the language in the world?
Unicode
In what numbering systems are all numeric values written as sequences fo 0’s and 1’s?
Binary numbers
What do you call a tiny “switch” that can be set to either on or off?
Bits
What amount of memory is enough to store a letter of the alphabet or a small number?
A byte
What is the purpose of ASCII?
To represent English letters, punctuation marks, numbers, and commands into 128 numeric codes.
How are characters stored?
They are typed into the keyboard, these characters then go to the control where they go through the processing unit, are converted into binary numbers, and then stored in the memory unit.
How is ASCII code ordered?
Special characters, numbers, special characters, capital letters, lowercase letters.
What number is 10011101?
157
How big is a byte?
Big enough to hold one letter of the alphabet or a small number.
Define hardware.
The physical devices that make up the computer.
What is the CPU?
The central processing unit, which runs all the programs.
What are microprocessors?
CPUs located on small chips that are very powerful.
What is secondary storage?
It can hold data for long periods of time.
What are different types of secondary memory?
Disk drive, solid state drive, flash memory, optical devices (CD, DVD).
What is application software?
Programs that make the computer useful for everyday tasks.
What is system software?
Programs that control and manage basic operations for a computer.
What do you call a program that both translates a high-level language program into a separate machine language?
Compiler
What type of programming language allows you to create powerful and complex programs without knowing how the CPU works?
High -level language.
A CPU understands instruction that are written only in what language?
Machine language
What do you call a program that both translates and executes the instruction in a high-level language program?
Interpreter
Each language has a set of rules that must be strictly followed when writing a program. What is this set of rules called?
Syntax
What is the process that a CPU executes a program?
Fetch, decode, execute
What is assembly language?
Use of short words for instructions instead of binary numbers.
What is an assembler?
Translates assembly language to machine language.
What are key words?
Predefined words used to write a program in high-level language.
What is an operator?
Perform operations on data.
What is a statement?
Individual instruction used in high-level language.
What is source code?
Statements written by the programmer in high-level language.
What is the difference between a compiler and interpreter?
A compiler translates all the statements at once and then executes it, while an interpreter translates each statement separately executing them one at a time.
What are words that make up high-level programming language?
Key words
