Chapter 2-Book Quiz Review

Describe the difference between a storage medium and a storage device.

A storage medium is the hardware where data is actually stored. A storage medium is inserted into its corresponding storage device in order to be read from or written to.

How is data represented in a computer?

Data is represented in a computer as binary digits—a series of 0s and 1s.

What is one of the most common types of flat panel technologies in use today?

One of the most common types of flat panel technologies in use today is LCD technology.

What is Plug and Play?

Plug and Play means the computer automatically configures new devices as soon as they are installed and the computer is powered up.

Explain the difference between RAM and ROM.

RAM is volatile memory used to store data and instructions while the computer is running. ROM is nonvolatile memory that permanently stores data or programs.

What is the main circuit board inside the system unit?

The main circuit board inside the system unit is the motherboard.

What is the main processing device for a computer?

The main processing device for a computer is the CPU (or processor or central processing unit).

What is the most common pointing device?

The most common pointing device is the mouse.

How is the quality of scanned images and printed output measured?

The quality of scanned images and printed output is measured in dots per inch (dpi).

How is the surface of a hard disk organized?

The surface of a hard disk is organized into concentric tracks and pie-shaped groups of sectors.

List the three types of optical discs.

The three types of optical discs are CD, DVD, and BD.

What is a bit?

A bit is the smallest unit of data that a computer can recognize.

What is a byte?

A byte is a series of eight bits.

How does a disk cache speed up performance?

A disk cache stores copies of data or programs that are located on the hard drive and that might be needed soon in memory chips to avoid having to retrieve the data or programs from the hard drive when they are requested.

What is an expansion card?

An expansion card is a circuit board used to give desktop computers additional capabilities.

Define input device and output device.

An input device is any piece of equipment that is used to enter data into the computer. An output device accepts processed data from the computer and presents the results to the user, most of the time on the computer screen, on paper, or through a speaker.

What is cloud storage?

Cloud storage refers to remote storage devices accessed via the Internet.

What does the ALU do?

The ALU is the part of a CPU core that performs logical operations and integer arithmetic.