CSC 155 Chapter Questions

One terabyte equals approximately a. 1,000 bits. b. 1,000 bytes. c. 1,000 megabytes. d. 1,000 gigabytes. e. 1,000 terabits.

1,000 gigabytes.

When did the World Wide Web become available? a. 1960s b. 1970s c. 1980s d. 1990s e. 2000s

1990s

When did Web 2.0 sites like Facebook and YouTube become popular? a. 1960s b. 1970s c. 1980s d. 1990s e. 2000s

2000s

How many values can be represented by a single byte? a. 2 b. 8 c. 16 d. 64 e. 256

256

A multifunction printer generally includes all of these except a. a scanner. b. an inkjet or laser printer. c. a port for connecting to a phone line. d. a port for connecting to a PC or a network. e. a hard disk drive.

A hard disk drive.

When a bank clerk transfers money into your account, where is the actual transaction probably being processed and stored? a. A PC b. A netbook c. A terminal d. A mainframe e. A Web page

A mainframe

An application program is a. a program that lets users create new applications. b. a program that lets users apply for jobs. c. a program that lets someone use a computer for a particular purpose. d. a program that updates the operating system of a computer. e. None of the above.

A program that lets someone use a computer for a particular purpose.

Which of these is most like the open architecture of the modern PC? a. A modern car with a computer-controlled emissions system that can be adjusted by factory-authorized mechanics b. A "smart" microwave with an embedded computer that allows for complex recipes and scheduling c. A stereo system that allows speakers, disc players, and other components to be replaced by the owner d. A handheld computer with built-in firmware for all of the most common PDA tasks e. A music keyboard that includes a built-in synthesizer and an LCD display

A stereo system that allows speakers, disc players, and other components to be replaced by the owner

What does the speed of a processor depend on? a. The architecture of the processor b. The clock speed of the processor c. The word size of the processor d. The number of cores in the processor e. All of the above

All of the above

LCD technology is used in a. notebook computer displays. b. desktop computer displays. c. video projectors. d. smart phone displays. e. All of the above.

All of the above.

Storage devices can be connected to the CPU and memory via a. expansion slots. b. ports. c. bays. d. All of the above e. None of the above

All of the above.

A collection of bits in the computer's memory might be treated as a. binary numbers that can be added and subtracted. b. ASCII codes representing letters and other characters. c. program instructions that tell the computer what to do. d. Any of the above e. None of the above

Any of the above.

As computers evolved, they a. grew in size. b. became faster. c. consumed more electricity. d. became less reliable. e. cost more.

Became faster.

Which of these is the best indicator of real-world performance of a computer? a. Benchmark tests published in computer magazines b. The CPU's clock speed c. The number of cores in the CPU d. The amount of memory e. The bus speed

Benchmark tests published in computer magazines

When did personal computers become available? a. Before 1950 b. Between 1950 and 1965 c. Between 1966 and 1990 d. Between 1991 and 2005 e. After 2005

Between 1966 and 1990

External drives are typically connected to the computer by a. USB. b. FireWire. c. VGA. d. Both A and B e. None of these

Both and B

Information travels between components on the motherboard through a. flash memory. b. CMOS. c. bays. d. buses. e. peripherals.

Buses.

The mouse is standard equipment on virtually all modern PCs except a. PCs without USB or FireWire ports. b. tower PCs. c. all-in-one PCs. d. laptop and tablet PCs. e. The mouse is standard equipment on all PCs.

Laptop and tablet PCs.

PCs are extremely versatile tools because they can accept instructions from a wide variety of a. hardware. b. software. c. network connections. d. PDAs. e. semiconductors.

Software

1. Blu-ray drives can read data on CDs, DVDs, and Blu-ray discs. TRUE OR FALSE

TRUE

2. USB thumb drives use flash memory technology to store data. TRUE OR FALSE

TRUE

3. The data processed by digital computers is made up of discrete units, or digits. TRUE OR FALSE

TRUE

A gigabyte (GB) is ten times as big as a megabyte (MB). TRUE OR FALSE

TRUE

A monitor with an aspect ratio of 16 × 9 is better suited for displaying two pages side-by-side than a monitor with a 4 × 3 aspect ratio. TRUE OR FALSE

TRUE

A netbook is a small notebook computer designed mostly for Internet access. TRUE OR FALSE

TRUE

A smart phone is a pocket-sized digital computer that can also be used as a phone. TRUE OR FALSE

TRUE

Because bar codes were designed to be read by computers, the devices that read them are extremely accurate. TRUE OR FALSE

TRUE

Because it can be programmed to perform various tasks, the PC is a general-purpose tool, not a specialized device with one use. TRUE OR FALSE

TRUE

For a computer to add two numbers, the numbers first must be converted to Unicode. TRUE OR FALSE

TRUE

If a processor is backward compatible with another, older processor, it can run older programs written for that processor. TRUE OR FALSE

TRUE

If all computers stopped working, people would use their phones much more to get necessary information. TRUE OR FALSE

TRUE

Laser printers are generally more expensive than comparable inkjet printers, but they may be cheaper in the long run because of the lower cost per page of laser printouts. TRUE OR FALSE

TRUE

One of the first computers helped the Allies crack Nazi codes during World War II. TRUE OR FALSE

TRUE

Slots and ports make it possible for the CPU to communicate with the outside world through peripherals. TRUE OR FALSE

TRUE

The access time for most memory is faster than the access time for a typical hard disk. TRUE OR FALSE

TRUE

The information stored in RAM is nothing more than a pattern of electrical current flowing through microscopic circuits in silicon chips. TRUE OR FALSE

TRUE

Thermal printers are commonly used to print receipts at point-of-sale terminals. TRUE OR FALSE

TRUE

Transformation of input into output is performed by a. peripherals. b. memory. c. storage. d. the CPU. e. the ALU.

The CPU.

Why will software written for the Core 2 Duo CPU generally run on the Core i7 CPU? a. Microsoft uses special encoding techniques when they build Core CPUs. b. The Core 2 Duo has special compatibility registers in RAM. c. The Core i7 is designed to be backward compatible with earlier Core chips. d. Every CPU is, by definition, compatible with the Core processor. e. It doesn't; software written for one processor won't run on another CPU.

The Core i7 is designed to be backward compatible with earlier Core chips.

Silicon Valley is a nickname for a. the region in California that contains most of the world's silicon mines. b. the part of the Internet where most of the traffic is channeled through silicon cables. c. the part of a computer that's used to transport data from the hard drive to the processor. d. the dip in productivity on a timeline that inevitably happens when new computer technology is introduced. e. the area in Northern California where many of the most important digital technology companies are based.

The area in Northern California where many of the most important digital technology companies are based.

A coding scheme that supports 100,000 unique characters has the name a. parallel processing. b. binary. c. Unicode. d. ASCII. e. HTML.

Unicode

Which represents the order in which computer circuitry evolved through three generations of technology? a. Vacuum tube, silicon chip, transistor b. Transistor, vacuum tube, silicon chip c. Vacuum tube, transistor, silicon chip d. Transistor, silicon chip, vacuum tube e. Silicon chip, vacuum tube, transistor

Vacuum tube, transistor, silicon chip

Many of the most important developments in the earliest days of the computer were motivated by what event? a. World War I b. The Great Depression c. World War II d. The prohibition of alcohol in the United States e. The launch of Sputnik by the USSR

World War II

About 30 percent of the world's microprocessors are hidden inside common household and electronic devices. TRUE OR FALSE

FALSE

According to Moore's law, the power of a silicon chip of the same price would double about every 8 years for at least 100 years. TRUE OR FALSE

FALSE

An image on a standard LCD monitor is made up of thousands of tiny squares of colors called pixels. TRUE OR FALSE

FALSE

Benchmark tests are used to determine CPU clock speed, which is the most accurate measure of a CPU's performance. TRUE OR FALSE

FALSE

Multi-touch technology was developed so that a PC could be connected to several pointing devices at the same time. TRUE OR FALSE

FALSE

Only about half of the world's countries have Internet connectivity. TRUE OR FALSE

FALSE

The contents of RAM cannot be changed. TRUE OR FALSE

FALSE

There's been a steady trend away from individual uses of computers and toward institutionalized computing. TRUE OR FALSE

FALSE

Most digital cameras today store images using a. DVD-RAM. b. hard disks. c. flash memory. d. digital ink. e. None of the above

Flash memory.

The size of a display is measured a. across the top of the display. b. down the left side of the display. c. across the middle of the display. d. down the center of the display. e. from the upper-left corner to the lower-right corner of the display.

From the upper-left corner to the lower-right corner of the display.

Which of these principles is not a useful guideline for making ethical decisions related to technology? a. The Golden Rule b. Take the long view. c. Think about how you would feel if your actions were widely viewed as a YouTube video. d. If it's legal, it's ethical. e. If you have any doubts, discuss them with knowledgeable people before taking action.

If it's legal, it's ethical.

Which of these is both an input and an output device? a. A bar-code reader b. A flatbed scanner c. A touch screen d. A sensor e. A plotter

A touch screen

Which of these input devices is least likely to use multi-touch technology? a. A touch-sensitive display b. A touch tablet c. A keyboard d. A trackpad e. A smart phone

A trackpad

For which of the following do we depend on computer technology? a. Controlling our money and banking systems b. Keeping our transportation systems running smoothly c. Making many of our household appliances and gadgets work properly d. All of the above e. None of the above

All of the above

Optical character recognition can be used to extract text from writing on a. smart whiteboards. b. tablet PCs. c. photographs of typewritten documents. d. scanned letters. e. All of the above

All of the above

ExpressCards are a. cards that are designed to be inserted into expansion slots on desktop PCs. b. high-speed cards that are designed to work with multicore CPUs. c. compact cards that are designed to work with portable computers. d. cards that are necessary for parallel processing to work. e. None of the above

Cards that are designed to be inserted into expansion slots on desktop PCs.

Why are program instructions represented in binary notation within the computer? a. Binary notation is more compact than other representations. b. Computer memory is made out of binary digits (bits). c. There are only two different directions for electricity to move along a wire. d. Computer programmers prefer to think in binary. e. A CPU can execute no more than two instructions at one time.

Computer programmers prefer to think in binary.

2. A simple on/off switch can store exactly two bits of information. TRUE OR FALSE

FALSE

A DVD-R drive can be used to store and back up data files. TRUE OR FALSE

FALSE

A microcomputer is a smart phone or PDA—any computer small enough to fit in your pocket. TRUE OR FALSE

FALSE

A scanner creates an analog representation of a printed digital image. TRUE OR FALSE

FALSE

Which of these peripherals is generally connected to a standard desktop PC through a port that's not a USB port? a. Mouse b. Monitor c. Keyboard d. External drive e. Digital camera

Monitor

A computer's internal bus can be connected to an external bus through a a. depot. b. CPU. c. port. d. flash. e. megabit.

Port

When you are working on an unsaved document on a PC, where is the document temporarily stored? a. RAM b. ROM c. The CPU d. The Internet e. The CD-ROM

RAM

When you first turn on a computer, the CPU is preset to execute instructions stored in a. RAM. b. ROM. c. flash memory. d. the CD-ROM. e. the ALU.

ROM.

Which of these technologies was developed first? a. The smart phone b. The laptop computer c. The netbook d. The embedded computer e. The desktop computer

The netbook

Which of these technologies is considered a "legacy" port today because it has been replaced by other technologies in modern PCs? a. The USB port b. The Ethernet port c. The serial port d. The express slot e. The Wi-Fi connection

The serial port

Which of these technologies was developed most recently? a. The smart phone b. The laptop computer c. The netbook d. The embedded computer e. The desktop computer

The smart phone

USB flash drives have all of the following advantages over other storage options except a. they are small and portable. b. they are cheaper per MB than other storage options. c. they can be used to access and store your data on virtually any computer with a USB port. d. they can plug into almost any modern digital camera. a. they are less prone to being damaged if dropped or scratched.

They are cheaper per MB than other storage options.

Hard disk drives have the disadvantage that a. they hold less information than CDs do. b. they are more likely to fail than other computer components. c. they cannot be backed up. d. their contents are lost when they lose power. e. All of the above

They are more likely to fail than other computer components.

Some computers are able to maintain simultaneous connections to many users through a technique called a. nanolinking. b. hot syncing. c. spider syncing. d. parallel processing. e. timesharing.

Timesharing.

Why was the arrangement of keys on the QWERTY keyboard chosen? a. Because it corresponds to alphabetical order in the Esperanto language b. Because it corresponds to alphabetical order in Latin c. To reduce typing speed d. To minimize finger motion to reach the most commonly typed characters e. To honor Harold Qwerty, the inventor of the keyboard

To reduce typing speed