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.