Section 6

Question 1

What is the definition for hardware?

Answer 1

A generic term for the physical parts both internal and external

Question 2

What is the definition for software?

Answer 2

A generic term for any program that can be run on a computer.

Question 3

What are the definitions for application software and system software?

Answer 3

Application - refers to all of the programs that the user used to complete a particular task
System - covers a range of programs that are concerned with the more technical aspects of setting up and running the computer.

Question 4

What is the definition of utility programs?

Answer 4

Programs that perform specific common task related to running the computer

Question 5

What is the definition of library programs?

Answer 5

Library programs are code, data and resources that can be called by other programs

Question 6

What are RAMs?

Answer 6

RAM is random access memory this is volatile storage as it can only be accessed when the power is on.

Question 7

What is a utility program?

Answer 7

A utility program is software that performs maintenance tasks.

Examples include compression software, anti-virus software, back-up software, and registry cleaners.

Question 8

What are library programs?

Answer 8

Library programs are similar to utility programs and are written to carry out common tasks. They are code, data and resources that can be called by other programs

Question 9

What is the role of DLL files in Windows?

Answer 9

DLL files contain code, data, and resources, and are loaded dynamically by Windows as required.

Question 10

What are translators in programming?

Answer 10

Translators are software used to convert programs from one language to another, including compilers, assemblers, and interpreters.

Question 11

What is an operating system?

Answer 11

An operating system is software that acts as an interface between the user and the computer, managing overall operations.

Question 12

What does an operating system do?

Answer 12

It links hardware, applications, and the user while hiding the complexity of the computer.

This creates a so-called virtual machine.

Question 13

What are the system requirements for Microsoft Windows 8?

Answer 13

Windows 8 requires a minimum of 1 GB of RAM and 16 GB of hard disk space.

Question 14

What is a translator in programming?

Answer 14

Software that converts programming language instructions into Os and 1s (machine code)

Translators include compilers, assemblers, and interpreters.

Question 15

What are the three types of translators?

Answer 15

• C compilers
• Assemblers
• Interpreters

Question 16

What is a compiler?

Answer 16

A program that translates a high-level language into machine code by translating all of the code.

Question 17

What is an assembler?

Answer 17

A program that translates a program written in assembly language into machine code.

Question 18

What is an interpreter?

Answer 18

A program for translating a high-level language by reading each statement in the source code and immediately performing the action.

Question 19

What is operating system software?

Answer 19

A suite of programs designed to control the operations of the computer.

Question 20

What is the concept of a virtual machine?

Answer 20

The concept that all of the complexities of using a computer are hidden from the user and other software by the operating system.

Question 21

What is application software?

Answer 21

Programs that perform specific tasks that would need doing even if computers didn’t exist, e.g. editing text, carrying out calculations.

Application software is designed for end-users to accomplish tasks.

Question 22

What are utility programs?

Answer 22

Programs that perform specific common tasks related to running the computer, e.g. zipping files.

Utility programs help manage, maintain, and control computer resources.

Question 23

What are library programs?

Answer 23

Code, data, and resources that can be called by other programs

Library programs are essential for software development as they provide reusable functionalities.

Question 24

What is the primary function of an operating system in terms of resource management?

Answer 24

To manage access to the processor and other resources such as peripherals and memory.

Question 25

Define 'scheduling' in the context of operating systems.

Answer 25

A technique to allocate access to the processor and other resources.

Question 26

What is 'time slicing'?

Answer 26

A method that allocates a fixed time period to each task for processor access.

Question 27

What does 'round-robin' scheduling refer to?

Answer 27

A scheduling method where each task is given an equal amount of processor time.

Question 28

Fill in the blank: The _______ is the slowest part of any computer system.

Answer 28

processor

Question 29

What is the purpose of managing input/output devices?

Answer 29

To control the way the various input and output devices are allocated, controlled, and used by programs.

Question 30

True or False: In a computer with only one processor, multiple programs can run simultaneously.

Answer 30

False

Question 31

What is one of the main tasks of an operating system?

Answer 31

To ensure that each program is allocated enough memory to operate efficiently.

Question 32

What does the term 'resource management' refer to?

Answer 32

How an operating system manages hardware and software to optimize performance.

Question 33

What is the simplest way an operating system can schedule access to the processor?

Answer 33

Time slicing.

Question 34

What happens when a processor is waiting for user input?

Answer 34

It is wasting processor time.

Question 35

What is memory management?

Answer 35

How the operating system uses RAM to optimize the performance of the computer

Question 36

What does RAM stand for?

Answer 36

Random Access Memory

Question 37

True or False: Memory management is only concerned with the allocation of RAM.

Answer 37

False

Question 38

Fill in the blank: The operating system uses _______ to manage memory effectively.

Answer 38

various algorithms

Question 39

What is one primary goal of memory management?

Answer 39

To optimize performance

Question 40

List two functions of memory management.

Answer 40

* Allocation of memory * Deallocation of memory

Question 41

What role does the operating system play in memory management?

Answer 41

It allocates and manages RAM resources

Question 42

Fill in the blank: Effective memory management can lead to _______ performance in computer systems.

Answer 42

improved

Question 43

True or False: Memory management has no impact on the speed of applications running on a computer.

Answer 43

False

Question 44

What is a key benefit of efficient memory management?

Answer 44

Maximizing the use of available RAM

Question 45

What is the purpose of an operating system in file management?

Answer 45

To store and retrieve files ## Footnote An operating system provides the necessary functions to manage files on a computer, including their organization and access.

Question 46

Fill in the blank: The operating system _______ files.

Answer 46

stores and retrieves

Question 47

True or False: File management is solely the responsibility of the user.

Answer 47

False ## Footnote File management is a function of the operating system, although users interact with it.

Question 48

What does file management involve?

Answer 48

Storing, retrieving, and organizing files ## Footnote Effective file management allows users to efficiently access and manage their data.

Question 49

What is a low-level language?

Answer 49

A language that is closer to machine code and assembly language. ## Footnote Low-level languages provide little abstraction from a computer's instruction set architecture.

Question 50

What is a high-level language?

Answer 50

A programming language that allows programs to be written using English keywords and that is platform independent. ## Footnote High-level languages are designed to be easy for humans to read and write.

Question 51

Define an imperative language.

Answer 51

A language based on giving the computer commands or procedures to follow. ## Footnote Imperative languages focus on how to perform tasks.

Question 52

What is an object-oriented language?

Answer 52

A programming paradigm that encapsulates instructions and data together into objects. ## Footnote Object-oriented languages promote code reusability and modularity.

Question 53

Define declarative languages.

Answer 53

Languages that declare or specify what properties a result should have, e.g., results will be based on functions. ## Footnote Declarative languages focus on what the program should accomplish rather than how to accomplish it.

Question 54

What is a functional language?

Answer 54

A programming paradigm that uses mathematical functions. ## Footnote Functional languages treat computation as the evaluation of mathematical functions and avoid changing-state and mutable data.

Question 55

Fill in the blank: A _______ is a programming paradigm that encapsulates instructions and data together into objects.

Answer 55

object-oriented language

Question 56

True or False: High-level languages are platform dependent.

Answer 56

False ## Footnote High-level languages are designed to be platform independent.