Computers in Society

Question 1

What is the main job the central processing unit (CPU) in a computer?

Answer 1

The CPU executes each instruction in a program. Each instruction is fetched from memory then executed by the processor.

Question 2

How does Moore’s Law describe what happens to the speed of computers every two years?

Answer 2

Moore’s Law states that, generally speaking, the speed of new computer models doubles every two years.

Question 3

What is decomposition?

Answer 3

Decomposition is where computer problems are broken down into smaller, simpler chunks which are easier to solve by algorithms.

Question 4

What is a Raspberry Pi?

Answer 4

The Raspberry Pi is a small computer, the size of a credit card, with either 256 MB or 512 MB RAM and a 1 gHz CPU.

Question 5

What is the Input-Process-Output model?

Answer 5

When computers take in data as an input, then process the data, then output a result.

Question 6

How are embedded computer systems different to systems in PCs and smartphones?

Answer 6

Embedded computers are designed to perform a specific task.

Question 7

For a computer to be able to carry out specific tasks, what does it need to do?

Answer 7

A computer always needs to follow a step-by-step program of instructions to tell it what to do. This is called an algorithm.

Question 8

What is abstraction?

Answer 8

Abstraction makes things simpler. By packaging things up into simper groups, it virtually hides the unnecessary details so that you can concentrate on only the most important parts of the problem.

Question 9

Who designed the Analytical Engine, the first programmable computer in 1837?

Answer 9

Ada Lovelace and Charles Babbage

Question 10

What does an IP address indicate?

Answer 10

An IP address specifies where you are on a computer network. However, ti cannot specify where are in the world.

Question 11

What does the Computer Misuse Act make it illegal to do?

Answer 11

The Computer Misuse Act makes it illegal to attempt to steal or change data on someone else’s computer. This includes tampering with the data on other people’s websites and databases.

Question 12

What does copyright mean?

Answer 12

Copyright automatically applies to anyone who has created an original work and protects their right to profit from it.

Question 13

What does a Creative Commons licence allow you to do?

Answer 13

Creative Commons provides a set of rules that allow people to ‘fine tune’ what others can do with their copyrighted work.

Question 14

What is trolling?

Answer 14

Trolling is where a user posts comments, often maliciously, on a website to try to evoke emotional responses from others. In its most extreme form, it can be a criminal offence.

Question 15

What is intellectual property?

Answer 15

Intellectual property is the ownership and right to make money from ideas, inventions and creative work.

Question 16

What term is given to hackers who attempt to do good through hacking?

Answer 16

A ‘white hat’ hacker is a hacker who acts ethically and attempts to do good through their hacking, perhaps by working around bugs in code or exposing security risks in software to test a system.

Question 17

How can a company stop rivals from stealing their ideas and producing similar games?

Answer 17

A company can stop their rivals from releasing a similar game by patenting their idea. If their rivals infringe the patent they can be prosecuted.

Question 18

Why are standards used in computing?

Answer 18

Standards are an agreed set of rules that ensure a system will perform in an expected way.

Question 19

What are de facto standards?

Answer 19

De facto standards are unofficial standards that have evolved and been accepted due to public support and widespread use.

Question 20

What are de jure standards?

Answer 20

De jure standards are controlled and regulated by organisations and ensure that essential services work as expected.

Question 21

What are open standards?

Answer 21

Open standards are usually controlled by a creative commons licence or they are unlicensed, which means they can be used by anyone and are not owned by a commercial organisation or individual.

Question 22

What is compatibility?

Answer 22

Compatibility is about making different systems work together in an expected way.

Question 23

Who is responsible for maintaining many of the open standards used on the internet?

Answer 23

The World Wide Web Consortium (W3C)

Question 24

Why do computer programmers use standards?

Answer 24

Programmers must adhere to certain standards when they work together to ensure quality and that they can work effectively as a team.

Question 25

What is an advantage of the new HTML5 standard?

Answer 25

The HTML5 is more capable of handling interactivity and data-intensive web applications within a web browser.

Question 26

What does the term ‘off the shelf’ mean?

Answer 26

‘Off the shelf’ means that it is a standard product.

Question 27

What is a computer system?

Answer 27

A computer system is a combination of hardware and software