Exploring Mathematics Chapters 12-14

Question 1

invented tabulating machines used in the 1890 census

Answer 1

Herman Hollerith

Question 2

In this list, which one is considered the “heart” of a computer: input, control program, memory, central processing unit, output?

Answer 2

central processing unit

Question 3

A computer with components put farther apart will run more slowly because

Answer 3

electric signals can go no faster than the speed of light

Question 4

The expression log103 = 0.477 is read as “The logarithm of the number __________ in base __________ is __________.”

Answer 4

three, ten, 0.477

Question 5

invented logarithms

Answer 5

John Napier

Question 6

In 1861, James Clerk Maxwell made a color photograph using

Answer 6

the three colors of red, green, and blue

Question 7

Any number raised to the zero power, is

Answer 7

1

Question 8

built a calculator called the Step Reckoner

Answer 8

Gottfried Leibnitz

Question 9

The Constitution of the United States has 4,609 words and 26,747 characters. At the rate of 7,000 bytes per second, how long would it take a computer to download the Constitution of the United States as an uncompressed text file?

Answer 9

About 3.8 seconds: 26,747 characters / 7,000 bytes (characters) per second = 3.821 seconds

Question 10

wrote the first computer program

Answer 10

August Ada Byron, Lady Lovelace

Question 11

In the early days of computers, input was mainly by 12

Answer 11

punched cards

Question 12

built the difference engine

Answer 12

Charles Babbage

Question 13

Video images can be compressed by

Answer 13

transmitting only those pixels that are different from the previous one

Question 14

built the first general purpose calculating machine

Answer 14

Howard H. Aiken

Question 15

The number 5,280 changed to standard notation is

Answer 15

5.28 x 10³

Question 16

Moore’s law states that computers double in power every 18

Answer 16

months

Question 17

built a calculator to help his father, a tax collector

Answer 17

Blaise Pascal

Question 18

Base 10 uses the digits 0 through

Answer 18

9

Question 19

spent six years calculating the orbit of Mars

Answer 19

Johannes Kepler

Question 20

In computer usage, a single position for a binary digit is called

Answer 20

bit

Question 21

In personal computers, a byte of data is made of how many bits?

Answer 21

8

Question 22

the letters RAM stand for

Answer 22

random access memory