paper 1

Question 1

what is a computer

Answer 1

A machine that processes data

Question 2

define hardware system

Answer 2

the physical stuff that makes up a computer system: monitor, motherboard

Question 3

what is an embedded system?

Answer 3

computers inside of a larger system. They are usually systems dedicated to one task

Question 4

what is a control system?

Answer 4

manages, commands, and directs other devices or systems

Question 5

explain the role of the control unit in the CPU

Answer 5

its main job is to execute program instructions by following the fetch-decode-execute cycle

Question 6

what are the three names of the registers in the CPU

Answer 6

MAR, MDR, ACC

Question 7

What does ALU stand for and what does it do

Answer 7

Arithmetic Logic Unit - does all the calculations

Question 8

what is the cache and what is it used for

Answer 8

the cache is very fast memory in the CPU that stores regularly used data so that the CPU can access it quickly

Question 9

describe what happens at each stage of the CPU fetch-decode-execute cycle

Answer 9

fetch- copy memory address from the program counter to the MAR and then copy the instruction stored in the address to the MDR

decode- instruction in MDR is decoded by the CU. The CU may then prepare for the next step by placing values into MAR or MDR

execute- the instruction is performed

Question 10

how does clock speed affect CPU

Answer 10

clock speed is the number of FDE cycles that the CPU can carry out

Question 11

how does the number of cores affect the CPU

Answer 11

more cores mean a greater number of instructions can be processed in a given time

Question 12

how does cache size affect the CPU

Answer 12

bigger cache means less time the processor has to wait for instructions to be fetched

Question 13

What is the purpose of the CPU

Answer 13

it processes all of the data and instructions that make the system work

Question 14

what is the MAR

Answer 14

holds any memory address about to be used by the CPU

Question 15

what is the MDR

Answer 15

Holds the data or instruction fetched or waiting to be written to memory

Question 16

what is the program counter?

Answer 16

Holds the memory address of the instruction for each cycle

Question 17

what is the difference between volatile and non-volatile memory?

Answer 17

volatile memory is temporary

non-volatile memory is permanent

Question 18

what does RAM stand for and how is it used in a computer system

Answer 18

RAM is a high-speed, volatile memory that stores data while they’re being used

Question 19

could changing the amount of RAM affect the computer’s performance?

Answer 19

It would increase the performance of the computer because it wouldn’t need to use virtual memory as often

Question 20

when and how is virtual memory used?

Answer 20

Virtual memory may be needed if too many applications open at once.

when RAM is full the computer moves data that hasn’t been used recently to a location on secondary storage

Question 21

explain why ROM is required by a computer system

Answer 21

ROM is a non-volatile memory that contains all the instructions a computer needs to properly boot up. This is called the BIOS (basic input-output system)

Question 22

state three characteristics of a processor that could affect its performance

Answer 22

clock speed
cache size
number of cores

Question 23

state three components of a computer system that could be upgraded

Answer 23

RAM
GPU
CPU

Question 24

define primary storage

Answer 24

memory areas that the CPU can access quickly

Question 25

define secondary storage

Answer 25

where all data is stored when not in use and they are much slower than primary storage

Question 26

list four uses of flash memory

Answer 26

USB memory sticks
mobile phones
video game hardware
digital audio players

Question 27

is SSD better than HDD?

Answer 27

SSD’s have no moving parts so they are quieter and more robust. They are also significantly faster. However, they are more expensive and have a lower average capacity

Question 28

why might someone choose magnetic tape as a form of storage?

Answer 28

it has a great storage capacity at an extremely low cost. It can be used by large organizations to store huge amounts of data.

Question 29

what are the pros and cons of optical storage

Answer 29

+cheap +portable +won’t be damaged by water or shocks

-low capacity -slow read/write speed

Question 30

what are the pro and cons of magnetic storage

Answer 30

+high capacity +cheaper than SSD +high speed

-moving parts -less robust than SSD

Question 31

what are the pros and cons of solid-state drives (SSD)

Answer 31

+faster than HDD +reliable +robust

-expensive