Definitions

Question 1

Abstraction

Answer 1

Process of removing or hiding unnecessary detail so that only the important points remain

Question 2

Access Control

Answer 2

Determines which users have access to which data AND what they are allowed to do with it

Question 3

Algorithm

Answer 3

Precise method for solving a problem

Consists of a sequence of step-by-step instructions

Question 4

Analogue

Answer 4

Using signals or information represented by a quantity that is continuously variable

Requires accurate sending and receiving mechanisms

Question 5

Application Software

Answer 5

Software that performs a task that would otherwise be done by hand

Question 6

Arithmetic/ Logic Unit (ALU)

Answer 6

Part of the CPU that performs calculations and logic operations

Question 7

Arithmetic Operator

Answer 7

Operator that performs a calculation on 2 numbers

Question 8

Arithmetic Shift

Answer 8

Used for signed binary numbers

When performing a right shift, the bits at the left are replaced by the most significant bit

Question 9

Array

Answer 9

An organised collection of related values that share a single identifier

Question 10

Assembly Language

Answer 10

Low-level language written using mnemonics

Question 11

Assignment Statement

Answer 11

SET…TO

e.g. SET correct TO False

Question 12

Attribute

Answer 12

An item of data stored about an entity

Question 13

Audit Trail

Answer 13

Record of activities that have taken place on a computer system

Generated automatically and will record:

• what has happened
• who or what has made a change

Question 14

Authentication

Answer 14

Process of proving to a computer system who you are

e.g. username and password

Question 15

Back-Up

Answer 15

Copy of files in another location so that they are still available in the original copy is damaged or lost

Question 16

Bandwidth

Answer 16

The amount of data that can be carried on a network in a given time period

Question 17

Binary

Answer 17

Information represented by 1s and 0s

Question 18

Binary Prefix

Answer 18

Multiplies a unit by powers of 2

Question 19

Binary Shift

Answer 19

An operation done on all the bits of a binary value in which they are moved by a specific number of places to either the left or right

Question 20

Bit Depth

Answer 20

Number of bits used to encode the information from each sample

Increasing the number of bits used increases the amount of detail contained in each sample

Question 21

Boolean

Answer 21

Something that can take only the values “True” or “False”

Question 22

Brute Force

Answer 22

Algorithm design that does not include any techniques to improve performance but, instead, relies on sheer computing power to try all possibilities until the solution to a problem is found

Question 23

Built-In Functions

Answer 23

Functions that are provided in most high-level programming languages to perform common tasks

Question 24

Bus

Answer 24

group of connections between devices in a computer

Question 25

Bus Width

Answer 25

The number of wires that make up a bus

Question 26

Byte

Answer 26

8 bits

Question 27

Cache

Answer 27

Memory used to make up for the difference in speed between two internal components Faster than RAM Very expensive

Question 28

CPU

Answer 28

Central Processing Unit Hardware device that carries out the processing in a computer

Question 29

Character Set

Answer 29

Defined list of characters recognised by a computer's hardware and software

Question 30

Checksum

Answer 30

An error detection technique

Question 31

Client-Server Network

Answer 31

A network that has at least one server to provide services to the client computers

Question 32

Clock

Answer 32

An electronic device inside a CPU that is used to synchronise the actions of the other parts of the CPU

Question 33

Clockspeed

Answer 33

Measured in Hz Number of cycles (instructions) that can be carried out per second

Question 34

Cloud Storage

Answer 34

Secondary storage Accessed via a netwrok

Question 35

Colour Depth

Answer 35

Number of bits used to encode the colour of each pixel

Question 36

Compiler

Answer 36

A translator that converts high-level language source code into machine code

Question 37

Compound Key

Answer 37

A key that consists of two or more fields used to identify a record uniquely

Question 38

Compression

Answer 38

Changing the format of a data file so that the size of the file becomes smaller

Question 39

Computational Thinking

Answer 39

Thought process involved in formulation problems and their solutions so that the solutions are represented in a form that can be effectively carried out by a computer

Question 40

Computing Technology

Answer 40

An all-encompassing term referring to the: - Hardware - Software - Infrastructure - etc

Question 41

Concantenation

Answer 41

Linking together two or more items of information

Question 42

Concurrent

Answer 42

Processes that run 'simultaneously'

Question 43

Constant

Answer 43

Holds a value that never changes

Question 44

Construst

Answer 44

What something is built from e.g. letters and numbers make up the English language

Question 45

Control Unit

Answer 45

Part of the CPU that organises the actions of the other parts of the CPU

Question 46

Data Structure

Answer 46

Organised collection of related elements Arrays and records are two common data structures used in programming

Question 47

Data Type

Answer 47

Specifies what kind of data it can hold e.g integer, real, Boolean, character, float

Question 48

Database

Answer 48

An organised store of data

Question 49

Definite Iteration

Answer 49

When the number of loops needed is known

Question 50

Defragmentation

Answer 50

Moves file clusters on a disk so that they are closer to each other to speed up disk access

Question 51

Denial of Service (DoS)

Answer 51

An attack on a network that attempts to prevent legitimate users from accessing its services

Question 52

Digital

Answer 52

Information represented by certain fixed values

Question 53

Encryption

Answer 53

Process of encoding a message into a form that only the intended recipient can decode/ decrypt/ read

Question 54

Field

Answer 54

An individual element in a record

Question 55

File

Answer 55

All of the records in a table OR A group of linked elements

Question 56

Firewall

Answer 56

A utility that controls program access to the network