Physical environments 2-Hardware and peripherals

Question 1

Characteristics of motherboard

Answer 1

*Backbone of the computer
*It is a large circuit board that connects the components of the system together

*provides power
*allows data transfer between component
*stores the BIOS chip that controls the boot process

Question 2

Features of motherboard

Answer 2

*Socket type- determines which processors work with motherboard

*Expansion slots-allows for additional components like graphic/ sound cards

*Ports- for things like USB, ethernet

Question 3

What size and shape does a motherboard be?

Answer 3

*Come in different shapes and sizes

Question 4

What is the most common motherboard in servers and pc?

Answer 4

*the ATX form factor

*there are different variants such as E-ATX (larger) common in high-end gaming
*micro-ATX (smaller) used in budget computers

Question 5

Characteristics of processors (CPU- Central processing Unit)

Answer 5

*brain of computer
*executes instructions that make up the programs
*faster CPU = better computer performance

Question 6

Features of processors (CPU- Central processing Unit)

Answer 6

*CPU clock speed- measured in GHz, is how many cycles per second the processor can execute. Higher clock speed= more instructions the processor can handle

*Cores- individual processing units within a CPU. more cores= more tasks simultaneously = better performance

*Cache- memory built into the processor, stores frequently used data, more accessible

*Word Length- number of bits the processor can do at once. larger word length = more data processed in single operation = better performance.

Question 7

What are the different architectures of CPUs?

Answer 7

*x86 = most commonly used in CPUs for pc and server

*ARM = for mobile devices. It is more efficient than x86, but has less power. commonly used in tablets and laptops

Question 8

Characteristics of cooling

Answer 8

cooling system keeps the temperature of the components within safe limits

Question 9

Features of cooling

Answer 9

*type of cooling system

*noise

*cooling capacity (how much heat it can dissipate)

*compatibility with the other components

Question 10

What are the different types of cooling?

Answer 10

*Air cooling- using fans to move air over components

*Liquid cooling- using a liquid coolant to absorb heat

*Passive cooling- using heat sinks to dissipate the heat

Question 11

Characteristics of main memory- RAM- Random access memory

Answer 11

*temporary storage area to hold data currently in use

Question 12

Features of main memory- RAM- Random access memory

Answer 12

*Amount- more RAM = faster computer can access and process data because it can load more data into the RAM for the CPU. If there is not enough RAM, virtual memory would be used (an area of hard disk that is reserved as an overflow, but it’s slow)

*Volatility- when computer is turned off, all the data is lost

Question 13

The main categories of RAM

Answer 13

*Dynamic- needs to be refreshed constantly to maintain the data. DRAM is slower than SRAM but is cheaper to manufacture.
^It is used in RAM because it can store more data for lower cost

*Static- doesn’t need to be refreshed. Faster than DRAM, but more expensive to manufacture.
^Usually used in the cache memory because it is faster and more reliable than dynamic RAM

*Cache- small, high speed memory. Used to access frequently used data and instructios

Question 14

Characteristics of secondary storage

Answer 14

*type of memory that can be used to store data permanently
*it is non-volatile

Question 15

ROM- Read-only memory

Answer 15

*Stores data that cannot be changed or edited- permanent

*used to store the firmware or basic instructions of the computer’s hardware
^This firmware tells computer how to start up and initialise the hardware components, such as hard drive, memory and other peripherals.

Question 16

Features of secondary storage

Answer 16

*Capacity- higher than primary

*Speed- primary faster than secondary, but storage devices have different speeds depending on the type of device and tech used. E.g. SSDs are faster than HDDs because of using flash memory instead of spinning disks

Question 17

Types of secondary storage devices

Answer 17

*Magnetic- includes HDD and magnetic tapes, works by using magnetic fields to read and write data. HDD is most common
^cheap and stores large amounts of data, but slower than Solid-state and susceptible to mechanical failure

*Solid state- including SSD and USB flash drives, use memory chips to store data
^faster and more reliable, but more expensive and limited lifestyle

*Optical- including CDs, DVDs and blu-ray disks, uses laser beams to read and write data.
^cheap and stores large amounts of data, but is slower than the magnetic or solid.

Question 18

Internal vs external secondary storage

Answer 18

*Internal is commonly used to store operating system, software programs and frequently accessed data. common internal are HDDs and SSDs

*External- used for data backup, file storage, and transferring data between devices. Common external are USB flash drives, SD cards.

Question 19

What are input devices (peripheral)

Answer 19

*allow us to enter data and instructions into the system.

Question 20

Characteristics and features of keyboard (input device)

Answer 20

*standard device to enter text, numbers and symbols into a system
*can be wired or wireless
*can include additional features like multimedia keys, shortcut keys, and customisable macro keys

Question 21

Characteristics and features of mouse (input device)

Answer 21

*common device to control movement of the cursor on the screen
*may have one button or more, a scroll wheel
*variety of shapes and sizes

Question 22

Characteristics and features of touchscreen(input device)

Answer 22

*display device that is also input
*users interact directly with the screen by touching it with fingers or stylus
*common in mobile devices like smartphones and tablets

Question 23

Characteristics and features of scanner (input device)

Answer 23

*converts physical documents, images and other media into digital format.
*uses various tech like flatbed, sheet-fed, handheld
*offer different levels of resolution and colour depth

Question 24

Characteristics and features of webcam (input device)

Answer 24

*to capture videos and images in real-time
*often for video conferencing, online gaming and live streaming
*may include features such as zoom, autofocus and built-in microphones

Question 25

Characteristics and features of microphone (input device)

Answer 25

*captures audio and converts it into digital format
*may be built into devices like laptops and smartphones or standalone devices with different levels of sensitivity and directional capability

Question 26

Characteristics and features of gamepad (input device)

Answer 26

*specifically designed for video games
*typically feature directional pads, buttons and joysticks, and may include additional features like vibration feedback and motion sensors.

Question 27

What are output devices (peripheral)

Answer 27

*hardware components that display or produce information from a system.

*differ in characteristics including their functionality, clarity, resolution and compatibility.

Question 28

Characteristics of monitors (output device)

Answer 28

*visual display device that shows text, images, and video output from a computer
*come in different sizes, resolutions and types such as LCD, LED, OLED, and CRT

Question 29

Characteristics of printer (output device)

Answer 29

*produces hard copies of text, images and other digital content
*may use different technologies such as inkjet, laser, and dot matrix, and may offer different levels of quality and speed

Question 30

Characteristics of speaker (output device)

Answer 30

*produces audio output from a computer
*come in different sizes and designs, e.g. small desktop speakers or large theater speaker systems

Question 31

Characteristics of headphones (output device)

Answer 31

*audio output worn over the ears or inserted into ear canal
*provide a private listening experience
*may offer noise-cancellation and other features

Question 32

Characteristics of projector (output device)

Answer 32

*displays video or images onto a large screen or surface
*may use different tech such as LCD, DLP, and LED, and may offer different levels of brightness and resolution.

Question 33

Characteristics of plotter (output device)

Answer 33

*output device that produces high-quality, large-format prints
*commonly used in engineering and architecture applications
*can produce precise drawings and graphics

Question 34

Characteristics of haptic feedback devices (output device)

Answer 34

*provides tactile feedback to users
*can simulate touch, vibration, and other physical sensations, and used in applications such as gaming, virtual reality, and medical training

Question 35

What are sensors?

Answer 35

*electronic devices that detect and measure physical physical properties or environmental conditions
*differ in characteristics including their functionality, accuracy, sensitivity & durability.
*technically these are input devices as they capture physical, environmental, or other types of data and transmit it to a computer.

Question 36

Characteristics of temperature sensor

Answer 36

*measures temp of a particular object or environment
*can be contact or non-contact
*can operate using various technologies such as thermocouples, RTDs, and thermistors.

Question 37

Characteristics of pressure sensor

Answer 37

*measures how much force is being applied to the device
*can be used in various applications such as tire pressure monitoring, medical equipment, and industrial automation.

Question 38

Characteristics of accelerometer (sensor)

Answer 38

*measures acceleration or changes in motion in a particular direction
*can be used in gaming, navigation, structural health monitoring etc

Question 39

Characteristics of gyroscope (sensor)

Answer 39

*measures angular motion and orientation
*used in mobile devices, virtual reality devices and drones

Question 40

Characteristics of proximity sensor

Answer 40

*detects the presence or absence of objects or people in a particular range
*can be used in various applications such as automotive safety systems, robotics, and mobile devices

Question 41

Characteristics of light sensor

Answer 41

*measures level of ambient light in a particular environment
*can be used such as automatic lighting control, photography, and mobile devices