Hardware

Question 1

clock speed

Answer 1

(processor speed) computers run at a pace determined by the CPU’s clock speed, internal
-measured in cycles per second (Hertz),

Question 2

Primary storage

Answer 2

(main memory), volatile meaning that if power if turned off every stored in primary memory is lost
-made up of Random Access Memory (RAM) and cache

Question 3

cache memory

Answer 3

name of very fast memory chips located on the central processing unit

Question 4

Latency

Answer 4

refers to how much delay there is between when a request is made for something in RAM and when the response is available

Question 5

Secondary Storage

Answer 5

Differs in 3 ways:

1. must be loaded into primary data before accessed by CPU
2. non volatile
3. takes longer to access contents

2 Types: Hard-disk drives (HDDs) & Solid state Drives (SSDs)

Question 6

multithreading

Answer 6

computer with a single core can appear to run multiple processes at once by switching back and forth among processes many times per second
-occurs when once process is broken into slices, and then slices from different processes are interleaved so quickly that it appears that multiple programs are running at the same time

Question 7

time slice

Answer 7

to enable a single core to run multiple threads, the operating system sets up a timer, which interrupts the system at a fixed interval
-single interval is known as a time slice

Question 8

hyperthreading

Answer 8

• allows a single processor to perform two seperate threads of computer instructions from the same computer applicatin
• each physical core is assigned two virtual cores, virtual cores are called logical cores
• each logical core is assigned a thread
• single processing task is broken into parts, and those parts assigned to threads
• parts are scheduled in the most efficient way

Question 9

random access

Answer 9

refers to the ability to access any specific location in RAM quickly as others

Question 10

Hard Disk Drives

Answer 10

• data is stored on multiple magnetic platters, these platters are coated with magnetic media and are mounted on a spindle that rotates the platters
• while the platter spins, an arm that contains a read/write head moves in and out across the platter to find or write data
• takes lots of time

Question 11

Solid State Drives

Answer 11

• use no moving parts

- faster

Question 12

CPU Gathering Information

Answer 12

1. CPU looks in Cache
2. Calls RAM
3. If in RAM, overwrites cache memory with what was in the RAM by the amount needed to store the new instruction or data
4. If not in RAM, goes to second storage

Question 13

bit

Answer 13

smallest discrete unit of storage that can be stored

Question 14

byte

Answer 14

8 bits make up a byte

-each byte can represent 2^8 = 256 combinations of 1’s & 0’s

Question 15

word size

Answer 15

refers to the number of bits a computer’s CPU can process at one time

Question 16

motherboard

Answer 16

is the board in a computer that everything else connects to

-contains internal bus, which serves as the communication highway within the computer

Question 17

Information technology (IT)

Answer 17

is a field concerned with the use of technology in
managing and processing information.
There are two basic categories of
information technology: hardware and software

Question 18

Hardware

Answer 18

consists of the physical

devices associated with a computer system.

Question 19

Software

Answer 19

is the set of instructions that

the hardware executes to carry out specific tasks.

Question 20

Input devices

Answer 20

The equipment used to capture information and commands (e.g., keyboard, scanner).

Question 21

Output devices

Answer 21

The equipment used to see, hear, or otherwise accept the results of information processing requests (e.g., monitor, printer).

Question 22

Communication devices

Answer 22

The equipment used to send information and receive it from one location to another (e.g., modem).

Question 23

central processing unit (CPU) (or microprocessor )

Answer 23

is the actual hardware that interprets and executes the program (software) instructions coordinates how all the other hardware devices work together.

Question 24

control unit

Answer 24

interprets software instructions and literally tells the other hardware devices what to do, based on the software instructions.

Question 25

arithmetic-logic unit

Answer 25

performs all arithmetic operations (for example, addition and subtraction) and all logic operations (such as sorting and comparing numbers).

Question 26

Megahertz (MHz)

Answer 26

is the number of millions of CPU cycles per second.

Question 27

Gigahertz (GHz)

Answer 27

is the number of billions of CPU cycles per second.

Question 28

Magnetic medium

Answer 28

is a secondary storage medium that uses magnetic techniques to store and retrieve data on disks or tapes coated with magnetically sensitive materials.

One of the first forms of magnetic medium developed was magnetic tape. Magnetic
tape is an older secondary storage medium that uses a strip of thin plastic
coated with a magnetically sensitive recording medium. The most popular type of
magnetic medium is a hard drive. A hard drive is a secondary storage medium that
uses several rigid disks coated with a magnetically sensitive material and housed
together with the recording heads in a hermetically sealed mechanism. Hard drive
performance is measured in terms of access time, seek time, rotational speed, and
data transfer rate.

Question 29

megabyte (MB or M or Meg)

Answer 29

is roughly 1 million bytes.

Question 30

Optical medium

Answer 30

is a secondary storage medium for computers on which information
is stored at extremely high density in the form of tiny pits. The presence
or absence of pits is read by a tightly focused laser beam. Optical medium types
include:
■ Compact disk-read-only memory (CD-ROM) drive— an optical drive designed
to read the data encoded on CD-ROMs and to transfer this data to a computer.
■ Compact disk-read-write (CD-RW) drive— an optical drive that enables users
to erase existing data and to write new data repeatedly to a CD-RW.
■ Digital video disk (DVD)— a CD-ROM format capable of storing up to a
maximum of 17 GB of data; enough for a full-length feature movie.
■ DVD-ROM drive— a read-only drive designed to read the data encoded on a
DVD and transfer the data to a computer.
■ Digital video disk-read/write (DVD-RW)— a standard for DVD discs and
player/recorder mechanisms that enables users to record in the DVD format.

Question 31

A terabyte (TB)

Answer 31

is roughly 1 trillion bytes

Question 32

Read-only memory (ROM)

Answer 32

is the portion of a computer’s primary storage that does
not lose its contents when one switches off the power. ROM contains essential system
programs that neither the user nor the computer can erase. Since the computer’s
internal memory is blank during start-up, the computer cannot perform
any functions unless given start-up instructions. These instructions are stored in
ROM.

Question 33

Flash memory

Answer 33

is a special type of rewriteable read-only memory (ROM) that

is compact and portable.

Question 34

Ping:

Answer 34

sending a series of packets over the internet to see if a device is connected

Question 35

Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol (TCP/IP)

Answer 35

• Provides the foundation standards for the Internet and many private LANs
• TCP provides transport functions—ensuring the amount of data sent if the same as that received
• IP provides the addressing and routing standards (i.e. the postmaster)

Question 36

Virtual private networks (VPN)

Answer 36

Use the public telecommunication infrastructure to provide secure access to an organization’s location

Question 37

Voice over IP (VoIP)

Answer 37

is a methodology and group of technologies for the delivery of voice communications and multimedia sessions over Internet Protocol (IP) networks, such as the Internet.

Question 38

IP address

Answer 38

a unique string of numbers separated by periods that identifies each computer using the Internet Protocol to communicate over a network.

Question 39

Coaxial cables

Answer 39

are a type of cable that is used by cable TV and that is common for data communications. Taking a a round cross-section of the cable, one would find a single center solid wire symmetrically surrounded by a braided or foil conductor. Between the center wire and foil is a insulating dialectric.

Question 40

An optical fiber cable

Answer 40

is a cable containing one or more optical fibers that are used to carry light.

Question 41

Twisted pair cabling

Answer 41

is a type of wiring in which two conductors of a single circuit are twisted together for the purposes of canceling out electromagnetic interference from external sources; for instance, electromagnetic radiation from unshielded twisted pair cables, and crosstalk between neighboring pairs.