2.1 Computational Thinking

Question 1

What is Abstraction

Answer 1

Abstraction is a technique that simplifies a problem by removing unnecessary detail so that you can focus on the important parts that are relevant to the problem

Question 2

What are examples of abstraction

Answer 2

• Maps are a classic example of abstraction.
• They leave out many details in order to focus on the important information, such as roads and landmarks.
• Money is an abstract concept.
• Money has no real value (it’s just a piece of paper!), but it represents the value of goods and services

Question 3

What is Decomposition

Answer 3

• Decomposition means breaking a complex problem into smaller, more manageable sub-problems
• Each smaller part can then be solved individually, before all the sub-solutions are combined to solve the original problem

Question 4

What are the Advantages of Decomposition

Answer 4

• Decomposition allows large teams to each take a part of a problem and work on it
• Decomposition allows seemingly impossible problems to be solved by splitting them into simple tasks

Question 5

What are Structure Charts

Answer 5

• Structure charts are used to visually represent breaking a large problem down into the smaller parts that make it up.
• Each box represents a smaller problem to be solved
• Lines show which bigger problem the box is a part of