ecs study guide Flashcards
processor
The microprocessor chip on the motherboard that does calculations and comparisons. (also called Central Processing Unit or CPU)
processor
The microprocessor chip on the motherboard that does calculations and comparisons. (also called Central Processing Unit or CPU)
operating system
Software that controls the hardware and software resources on a computer. (Windows, Mac OS and Linux are examples)
RAM
Random Access Memory - the physical memory chips inside a computer that temporarily stores the data and programs that are currently being worked on or run. It is erased when the program is closed or the computer is turned off.
ROM
Read Only Memory - Permanent, unchangeable memory chip(s) where boot-up instructions are stored.
hard drive
computers main internal storage
input devices
keyboard, mouse, camera, webcam. anything you can plug into the computer
output devices
projectors, speakers, printer things that basically come “out” of the computer
Essential Components to consider when buying a computer
Operating System
Processor
Memory & Storage
Monitor
hertz
its the number of cycles per second and the measurements of the speed of the processor
bit
Short for binary digit and is either a 0 or a 1 in binary code
gigahertz
1 billion cycles per second
byte
a group of eight binary digits or bits.
its also the amount of memory that is needed to store one character from the keyboard
kilobyte
a thousand bytes
megabyte
one million bytes
gigabyte
one billion bytes
terabyte
a trillion bytes
functions of a computer
receives input and produces output it also processes information and stores information
Examples of Tasks that can and can’t be accomplished by a computer
Tasks that CAN be easily completed by a computer
sorting lists
searching for information quickly
large calculations
Tasks that CANNOT be completed by a computer
showing empathy
creatively solving a problem
Permanence of online data
nothing you do online is private and anything you put on social media (even if you delete it) could still exist forever and can never be completely erased.
Appropriate Methods of Communication
(there’s 5)
in person
phone call
texting
e-mail
social media
online safety
Exercising caution and consciousness of personal data that is shared online in order to avoid identity theft or worse.
Impact of Technology on Society
(there is 6)
Social
Economic
Political
Legal
Ethical
Moral
Ethical responsibility
Principles of right and wrong that govern a person’s behavior.
Problem solving techniques & steps
(there’s 5)
Define - Understand the problem
Prepare - Plan the Solution
Try - Carry Out the Plan or Code
Reflect - Review & Discuss the Solution
Repeat - Reiterate through the steps until a solution is found
Algorithm
a set of steps to solve a problem
Sorting Algorithm
An algorithm that puts elements of a list in a certain order.
Examples: Bubble, Insertion, Selection, Merge & Quick Sort
Minimal spanning tree
The shortest path between all the locations (nodes) in a network
Real World Applications:
Computer Networks
Pipes (water and sewer lines)
Utilities Cables
Binary system
base 2 counting system
consisting of 1’s and 0’s
Know the binary pattern to count from 0-255
The binary versions of: 3, 11, 23, 31:
00000011 = 3
00001011 = 11
00010111 = 23
00011111 = 31
Binary search
Divides the data in half, eliminate the half that does NOT contain what you’re looking for. Divide the data in half again, and eliminate the half that doesn’t contain the item. Repeat until you find what you’re looking for. Data must be sorted first!
Linear search
Looks at each item one by one, in order, until you find what you’re looking for. Does not require sorting.
Artificial Intelligence
A branch of computer science dealing with the simulation of intelligent behavior in computers
Machine Learning
Using training data to program a computer to make decisions and learn and adapt without the need for human intervention.
Examples of Artificial Intelligence
Image recognition
Speech recognition
Translation
Self driving cars
Smart assistants (Siri and Alexa)
Disease mapping
Social and Ethical Impacts of AI
Human and Algorithmic Bias
Workers losing jobs to automation
Human/Machine augmentation
Artificial ear
Prosthetic limbs
Sectors Affected by AI
Medicine
Agriculture
Manufacturing
Program Design
A plan that identifies program components and design elements.
Examples: Flowcharts, storyboards, prototypes or pseudocode
user input
Data or instructions provided by the person using a program.
Examples: Text, sensors, mouse response, movement, event
User Output
Data or results returned to the person using a program by the computer.
Examples: Sounds, light, vibrations, movement, text and/or graphics
Variables
A named storage location in memory. Variables are placeholders for a piece of information that can change.
Examples from a game:
Score
Lives
Level
Other Examples:
Age
Name
loops
A programming structure that repeats a sequence of instructions as long as a specific condition is true.
One time through a loop is called an iteration
Conditionals
A programming structure in which a condition controls which steps of a program are executed.
It is sometimes called an IF THEN statement.
If a condition is met, an action is performed.
Example: IF it is raining THEN wear a jacket.
Operators
A symbol that usually represents an action or process.
Mathematical Operators: + - > < ==
Boolean Operators: AND OR NOT
Functions
A named block of code that performs a specific task.
Use functions to:
Be more efficient
Make your code reusable
Make your code easier to read.
Debugging
A process of executing/testing a program or application with the intent of finding errors in the code; often referred to as bugs.
Common forms of debugging include: Guess & check
Deactivating sections of code
Looking for typos
Making the problem smaller
Asking a friend or team member
Printing, watching or changing values while the program runs
Using a debugging tool
Physical Computing
Programming of smart devices such as thermostats, lights, security systems, robots
html
Hypertext Markup Language. The coding language used to format text for use on all web pages.
HTML5 Foundation
Essential Elements of a web page
1 < doctype html
html
head
title
body
Essential HTML Tags
<p> - paragraph
<h1>, <h2>, etc. - headings
<a> - anchor - used for hyperlinks
<img></img> - insert an image (usually inside <figure> tags)
<br></br> - insert a line break
<ol> - ordered list (numbered list)
<ul> - unordered list (bulleted list)
<li> - list item(s)
</li></ul></ol></figure></a></h2></h1></p>
css
Cascading style sheets. Used to control a web site’s text color, background colors, borders, spacing, headers, links and positioning of elements.
CSS Background attributes
image, color
body {
background-image: url(“paper.gif”);
background-color: #cccccc;
}
CSS Font attributes
type, size, color
body {
font-family: Georgia, serif;
font-size: 12px;
color: red;
}
border attributes
width, style, color
.circle {
border: 5px solid red;
}
CSS styling: inline
adding style to a single html element
<h1>This is a Blue Heading</h1>
CSS styling: external
linking a .css document to your .html document (best way to do it)
<link href=”styles.css” rel=”stylesheet” type=”text/css”>
CSS class
Used to modify multiple elements in the same way
HTML example
<p class=”secondary”>
CSS selector
.secondary { }
Careers in Web Development
Front End Web Developer - A job that requires creating the visible website with HTML and CSS.
Back End Web Developer - A job that requires using Javascript or PHP to create the backend of the website and adds the functionality. The unseen programming of a website.
Full Stack Web Developer - Full Stack Developers perform the tasks of both front and back end developers.
UX / UI Designer - A job that requires creating a visual design for a website. They are in charge of designing the layout and visual functionality of the website. They often create the graphics and a mockup for the developers.
