Computer Science 1

Power Supply

A device that provides electricity to a computer.

Server

A computer that serves up information to other computers on a network

GPS

A network of 24 orbiting satellites used primarily for precise navigation. Three satellites "triangulate" an object and determine its exact location using the global positioning system.

Motherboard

A printed circuit board containing the principal components of a computer or other device, with connectors into which other circuit boards can be slotted.

Binary Code

A simple code that computers use to send and receive data made from electrical signals and represented by 1s and 0s.

RAM

A temporary place to store material that works quickly. Random Access Memory is erased when computer turns off.

Byte

An 8-bit word

HTML

An abbreviation of the language that webpages are written in. Also known as hypertext documents, webpages must conform to the rules of this language in order to be displayed correctly in a web browser. This syntax is based on a list of tags that describe the page's format and what is displayed on the webpage.

Information Technology

Computer-based technology used for storing and processing information.

Information

Data that is processed, organized, structured, or presented in a context so as to make it useful.

Encoder

Device that changes the message into another form for transmission.

Output Device

Device that projects images, gives sound, and basically gives out the info from the computer so the user can obtain it (ex: monitor, printer, projector, speakers)

Transmitter

Device that sends the encoded message toward it's destination.

Decoder

Device that translates the encoded message into an understandable form.

Input Device

Device used to insert data into a computer or other device (ex: keyboard, mouse, microphone, scanner, voice recognition)

Monitor

Displays images and text on the screen.

Syntax

Each computer programming language uses a different ________. In computer programming languages, this serves the same purpose, defining how declarations, functions, commands, and other statements should be arranged.

Software

General term that describes computer programs. It is virtual, not physical like computer hardware, and is essentially data and information.

Protocols

Information is transmitted over the Internet using computer languages called ______________.

RFID tags

Microchips equipped with radio transmitters. Radio frequency identification tags can be attached or embedded in order to track locations or store information for a wide range of applications.

One Billion

Number of bytes in a Gigabyte

One Million

Number of bytes in a Megabyte

Hardware

Physical elements of a computing systems (printer, circuit boards, wires, keyboard, etc)

HDMI

Provides a digital interface for transmitting audio and video data in a single cable. It is supported by most HDTVs and related components, such as DVD and Blu-ray players, cable boxes, and video game systems. It is an acronym for High-Definition Multimedia Interface.

Data

Raw, unorganized facts that need to be processed. It can be something simple and apparently random and useless until it is organized.

Fiber-Optics

Refers to the medium and the technology associated with the transmission of information as light pulses along a glass or plastic strand or fiber.

Antivirus Software

Software designed to detect and destroy computer viruses

Malware

Software programs designed to damage or do other unwanted actions on a computer system. Refers to "malicious software" and includes viruses, worms, trojan horses, and spyware.

Operating System (OS)

Software used to control the computer and its peripheral equipment.

Hard Drive

Storage device that stores digitally encoded data on rapidly rotating rigid disks with magnetic surfaces. The device is either permanently installed within the computer case or can be portable

hypertext

Text that links to other information.

Receiver

The device that accepts the encoded information and relays it to the decoder.

Central Processing Unit (CPU)

The part of a computer in which operations are controlled and executed, located on the motherboard.

Source

The person or machine that has a message to be delivered.

Destination

The person or machine that receives the decoded message.

HTTP

The protocol used to transfer data over the World Wide Web. All website addresses begin with this. It stands for Hyper-Text Transfer Protocol.

Medium

The wired or wireless means used to send information.

Modulate

To change the amplitude or frequency of waves.

Network

When two or more computers connected to each other, you have a _________, with the purpose of sharing files and information between multiple systems. The Internet could be described as a global example of this.

Digital

__________ information is stored using a series of ones and zeros.