Chapter 2 Computer Hardware - SAM study center

The word "bit" is short for what?

Binary digit

How many bytes is a gigabyte?

1 billion

Unicode and ASCII are examples of what?

A coding scheme

You use a ______ key in conjunction with other keys to issue a command.

A modifier key

Memory chips or modules hold data and programs as they are being processed by the ______, and are usually found on the motherboard.

CPU

A pointing device used primarily with a tablet computer to draw, enter data, and make selections on the screen.

A stylus

Benchmark

A benchmark is a test run by a laboratory or other organization to determine processor speed and other performance factors.

What is an electronic channel that transfers data in multiple directions?

A bus

Bus

A bus is an electronic channel that allows the CPU and various devices inside or attached to a computer to communicate.

Cycle

A cycle is the smallest unit of time a processor can measure.

A pointing device used primarily for computer gaming systems.

A joystick.

You move this handheld device on a flat surface to manipulate the pointer on the screen.

A mouse

Multi-Core Processor

A multi-core processor has two or more processor units, or cores.

Multifunction Device (MFD)

A multifunction device, also called an MFD or all-in-one printer, is both an input device (copying and scanning documents) and an output device (sending faxes and printing).

Pointing Stick

A pointing stick is a pressure-sensitive pointing device the size and shape of a pencil eraser.

A flat surface, often found on laptop computers, that can be used instead of a mouse.

A touch pad

Context-Specific Menu Options

Context-specific menu options are commands that are available for the current object, selection, or program area.

Digitized Sound

Digitized sound is a digital representation of analog sound waves.

Firewire

Firewire is a technology that enables a high-speed connection between a computer and a peripheral device.

Google Docs

Google Docs is a group of web-based applications provided by Google. Programs include word processing, spreadsheet, presentation, forms creation, and cloud storage.

Internet Control Keys

Internet control keys are special keys found on some keyboards that allow a user to navigate the Internet without using the mouse.

Liquid Crystal Display (LCD)

Liquid crystal display, or LCD, is a display technology that features a layer of liquid crystal between two transparent electrodes.

Hard drives with read/write heads that move over the surface of platters are a type of ______ storage.

Magnetic

Magnetoresistive RAM (MRAM)

Magnetoresistive RAM, or MRAM, is a type of nonvolatile memory that uses magnetic charges rather than electrical charges to store data.

Pressing the ______ key switches the navigation keypad to the numeric keypad.

NUMLOCK

CDs and DVDs are types of ______ storage.

Optical

Optical Storage Technology

Optical storage technology is a process in which the data is "burned" on to the disk with a laser that creates "pits" and "lands".

Platters

Platters are the disks within the hard disk drive on which magnetized particles are aligned to store digital data.

Processor Cache

Processor cache is a special memory area next to the processor that stores frequently used data and instructions.

What sets the speed at which the CPU executes instructions?

Processor clock

Flash memory is an example of _______ memory.

Programmable

Programmable Read-Only Memory (PROM)

Programmable Read-Only Memory, or PROM, is a type of memory chip on which a programmer can write code, but only once.

When the a computer is shut down, the information in ________ is erased.

RAM

The data stored in _________ is saved even when a computer has been powered off.

ROM

Random Access

Random access, or direct access, is the process of storing data to or retrieving data from its specific location on a memory or storage device.

Data stored on hard disk uses ______ access, so you can go directly to the area of the drive where the data is stored.

Random or Direct

Read Only Memory (ROM)

Read only memory, or ROM, is the memory permanently installed on a system when the computer is manufactured.

Data stored on a tape is ______, so it requires you to forward or rewind the tape to access information.

Sequential

USB flash drives and camera memory cards are types of _____ storage.

Solid State

What performs arithmetic and logic functions in the CPU?

The ALU - (The Arithmetic/Logic Unit)

Machine Cycle

The machine cycle is a four-step process for every instruction that is processed by the CPU. The steps are fetch, decode, execute, and store.

Swap File

The swap file is the part of the hard disk used by virtual memory.

Volatile

The term volatile refers to the characteristic loss of data in RAM when the computer loses power.

Unicode

Unicode is a 16-bit text coding scheme that can be used to create over 65,000 symbols and characters.

When an operating system employs _______ memory, it swaps files to the hard disk.

Virtual