Computer Hardware

Question 1

What is a computer?

Answer 1

A computer is a machine that takes some kind of input from it’s surroundings, processes the input, and provides some kind of output

Question 2

What is a Von Neumann model?

Answer 2

Computer System design in which the program is stored in memory with the data

Question 3

Define Volatile

Answer 3

Content is lost when the computer is switched off

Question 4

What is Cache memory?

Answer 4

Memory used to make up for the difference in speed between two internal components

Question 5

What is a register?

Answer 5

Registers are responsible for holding data, such as addresses or commands. Some registers can hold the product of an ALU or a command that needs to be decoded.

Question 6

Give 3 examples of a register

Answer 6

1) Accumulator
2) Program Counter
3) Current Instruction

Question 7

What is a clock?

Answer 7

An electronic device that ticks at regular intervals and is used to synchronize the actions of other parts in the CPU

Question 8

What is bus width?

Answer 8

The number of wires that make up a bus. This determines the range of binary numbers that can be transmitted

Question 9

What is secondary storage?

Answer 9

Any kind of permanent storage to which the contents of ROM/RAM are copied

Question 10

What is magnetizing storage?

Answer 10

Magnetizing parts of a storage to represent binary 1’s and 0’s.

Question 11

What is Optical storage?

Answer 11

Uses differences in light reflection from a material

Question 12

What is Solid State storage?

Answer 12

Works by storing charge (electrons)

Question 13

Give an example of magnetic secondary storage?

Answer 13

Hard disks

Question 14

Give an example of optical secondary storage?

Answer 14

DVD’s

Question 15

Give an example of electrical secondary storage?

Answer 15

Flash drives

Question 16

What is an Input device?

Answer 16

To enter data into a computer

Question 17

What is an output device?

Answer 17

To display or output data that has been processed

Question 18

What kind of storage can hold the highest, medium and lowest amount of data?

Answer 18

Highest: Magnetic
Medium: Solid State
Lowest: DVD’s

Question 19

The higher the clock speed the…

Answer 19

faster the CPU will run

Question 20

What does the clock speed represent?

Answer 20

Represents the number of fetch decode execute cycles or instructions the CPU can process in a given amount of time.

Question 21

cache contains…

Answer 21

frequently accessed data

Question 22

What is the purpose of the CPU?

Answer 22

To fetch decode and execute instructions

Question 23

What is cloud storage?

Answer 23

secondary storage, often belonging to a third party, that is accessed via a network (usually the internet), and so is not in the same physical place as the machine’s RAM/ROM.

Question 24

In the ‘input-process-output’ model, what is meant by processing?

Answer 24

the computer preforms a series of actions on the input data according to the instructions of the program it is following

Question 25

What is the function of RAM?

Answer 25

RAM stores frequently used program instructions and data so the processor isn’t kept waiting for them to be transferred from the main memory

Question 26

List 2 components with which the CPU works to execute program instructions

Answer 26

1. Program counter

2. Input/output devices

Question 27

What is the role of the Control Unit?

Answer 27

• controls all parts of the CPU

- sends out ‘control signals’ to other parts of the CPU

Question 28

What is the role of the ALU?

Answer 28

• conducts mathematical and logical operations

- preforms comparisons

Question 29

What is the role of registers in the fetch-decode-execute cycle?

Answer 29

• holds data or instructions that can be accessed quickly

- most are general instruction (how ever some preform special functions)

Question 30

What is the role of the decoder in the fetch-decode-execute cycle?

Answer 30

works out what the program instructions mean so that the CPU can carry it out

Question 31

What are the names of the 3 buses involved in the fetch-decode-execute cycle?

Answer 31

• data bus
• control bus
• address bus

Question 32

What does the data bus do?

Answer 32

contents of a memory location is transferred to the CPU along the data bus

Question 33

What does the control bus do?

Answer 33

the control unit sends a ‘read’ signal to the RAM along the control bus

Question 34

What does the address bus do?

Answer 34

the control unit uses the address bus to sends signals specifying the required memory location in the RAM

Question 35

What are the 4 steps of the fetch-decode-execute process?

Answer 35

1. The CPU sends a signal to the RAM requesting the next instruction
2. The next instruction is sent from the RAM to the CPU
3. The CU interprets the instruction
4. the instruction is carried out

Question 36

What is non-volatile memory used for?

Answer 36

storing program instructions and data that do not need to be changed

Question 37

Give 2 reasons why a secondary storage device is needed in most computer systems

Answer 37

1. secondary storage is non-volatile

2. data can be moved between computers

Question 38

Why are solids-state storage devices called solid-state?

Answer 38

there are no moving parts nerd

Question 39

Give 2 reasons why cloud storage is better than devices connected to a local server

Answer 39

• can be accessed anywhere

- a cloud storage provider is responsible for security

Question 40

What are 2 reasons why devices connected to a local server is better than cloud storage

Answer 40

• doesn’t require internet

- access times are not affected by speed of the internet connection

Question 41

What is an Accumulator?

Answer 41

Holds the results/products of the ALU