Chapter 1 Review Questions

What is the largest value that can be stored in one byte?

255

A set of 128 numeric codes that represent the English letters, various punctuation marks, and other characters is ______

ASCII

The ______________ coding scheme contains a set of 128 numeric codes that are used to represent characters in a computer's memory

ASCII

the most important component in a computer because without it, the computer could not run software

CPU

Which of the following is not a microprocessor manufacturing company?

Dell

_______________ was the first high-level programming language designed that could perform complex mathematical calculations

FORTRAN

A syntax error does not prevent a program from being compiled and executed.

False; it is logic error

The process known as the ___________ cycle is used by the CPU to execute instructions in a program

Fetch-decode-execute

The process known as the ___________ cycle is used by the CPU to execute instructions in a program.

Fetch-decode-execute

these software packages usually consist of a text editor, a compiler or interpreter, and tools for testing programs and locating errors

IDE or Integrated Development Environment

A computer system consists of all of the following except

Operating System

This is a volatile type of memory that is used only for temporary storage while a program is running.

RAM

the main memory, that the CPU is able to quickly access data stored at any random location

RAM

The term used for a set of rules that must be strictly followed when writing a program is

Syntax

A computer is not a single device but a system of devices that work together to manipulate data according to the instructions provided.

True

Any piece of data that is stored in a computer's memory must be stored as a binary number.

True

Machine language is the only language that a CPU understands

True

The instruction set for a microprocessor is unique and is typically understood only by the microprocessors of the same brand.

True

A component that collects data from people or other devices and sends it to the computer is called ______

an input device

Programs that make a computer useful for everyday tasks are known as ___________.

application software

The _____ translates an assembly language program to a machine language program.

assembler

In a(n) ______ numbering system, all numeric values are written as sequences of 0's and 1's.

binary

all numeric values are written as a sequence of 1s and 0s

binary

this term stands for a binary digit

bit

A byte is made up of eight

bits

A(n) _____ program translates a high-level language program into a separate machine language program

compiler

What term can be used to describe anything that uses binary numbers?

digital

A programmer is different than a software developer, as a programmer only programs the computer, but does not design or test the programs.

false

Assembly language is considered a high-level language.

false

Computers are designed to do just one job.

false

Programs are commonly referred to as hardware.

false

The term software refers to all the physical devices or components that a computer is made of.

false

Today, CPUs are huge devices made of electrical and mechanical components such as vacuum tubes and switches.

false

Windows Vista, Linux, UNIX®, and Mac OS X are all examples of application software.

false

Word processing programs, spreadsheet programs, email programs, Web browsers, and games are all examples of utility programs.

false

Assembly language is referred to as a low-level language because it is close to the C++ language.

false; it's closer to machine language

USB drives store data in a special type of memory known as

flash memory

Real numbers are encoded using the _____ technique

floating-point notation

The physical devices that a computer is made of are referred to as _____

hardware

the term used to refer to all the physical devices that make up a computer

hardware

The disk drive is a secondary storage device that stores data by ________________ encoding it onto circular disks.

magnetically

Today, CPUs are small chips known as _______

microprocessors

Data is not recorded magnetically on a(n) ____________ but is encoded as a series of pits on the disk surface.

optical disk

computers can do such a wide variety of things because they can be this

programmed

person with the training and skill needed to design, create, and test computer programs

programmer

A type of memory that can hold data for long periods of time-even when there is no power to the computer-is called ______

secondary storage

the statements that a programmer writes in a high-level language are called this

source code or code

a program cannot be translated if it has these type of errors

syntax

What function(s) does an interpreter perform with the instructions in a high-level programming language?

translates and execute

Each instruction written in a high-level programming language is called a statement.

true

Hardware refers to all the physical devices or components that a computer is made of.

true

Most programs written in a high-level language need to be translated into machine language.

true

RAM is a volatile memory used for temporary storage while a program is running.

true

The CPU understands instructions in machine language which are written in binary.

true

The main reason for using secondary storage is to hold data for long periods of time even when the power to the computer is turned off.

true

Negative numbers are encoded using the _____ technique

two's complement

is an extensive encoding scheme that is compatible with ASCII and can represent the characters of all the languages in the world

unicode