Intro to computer science Flashcards
Why program
Computers are the most versatile tool and are designed to do what every you tell them.
Hardware
physical components of a computer
CPU or central processing unit
fetch instructions,
follow the
instructions, and
product some
resulting data.
What two parts of the cpu
control unit and arithmetic and logic
unit
How the cpu works
Fetch/decode/execute
Fetch
The CPU’s control unit fetches, from main
memory, the next instruction in the sequence of
program instructions.
Decode
The instruction is encoded in the form of a
number. The control unit decodes the instruction and
generates an electronic signal.
execute
The signal is routed to the appropriate
component of the computer (such as the ALU, a disk
drive, or some other device) and the signal causes
the component to perform an operation.
Main memory
¨ RAM holds the
sequences of
instructions in the
programs that are
running and the
data those programs
are using.
What is a memory address
Memory is divided into sections that hold an
equal amount of data.
¨ The computer stores data by setting the
switches in a memory location to a pattern that
represents a character or a number.
what is a switch know as
a bit
What is 8 switches known as
a byte
List the five major hardware components of a computer system.
The CPU ( central processing unit), main memory, secondary storage device, input devices and output devices.
why computers have both main memory and secondary storage.
The main memory gets erased when the systems shuts down so you the secondary storage to save data and important files.
Secondary storage
Capable of storing
very large amounts
of data and can
access data quickly.
