Computer Hardware and History

Question 1

What generation of computers relied on vacuum tubes for circuitry and magnetic drums for memory?

Answer 1

First Generation

Question 2

What generation of computers replaced vacuum tubes with transistors?

Answer 2

Second Generation

Question 3

What generation of computers oversaw the development of higher-level programming languages such as FORTRAN and COBOL?

Answer 3

Second Generation

Question 4

What generation of computers started with the invention of integrated circuits?

Answer 4

Third Generation

Question 5

What generation of computers started with the creation of microprocessors?

Answer 5

Fourth Generation

Question 6

Which two generations of computers used punched paper for input and had printed output?

Answer 6

First and Second Generations

Question 7

What generation of computers introduced the keyboard for input and monitor for output?

Answer 7

Third Generation

Question 8

What generation of computers had the development of graphical user interface, the mouse, and handheld devices?

Answer 8

Fourth Generation

Question 9

What manages all of the hardware and software on a computer?

Answer 9

Operating System

Question 10

What is responsible for processing all of the information from programs run by a computer?

Answer 10

Central Processing Unit (CPU)

Question 11

What languages did the first generation computers run on?

Answer 11

Machine languages

Question 12

What made it possible for third generation computers to run multiple programs and share memory and other resources?

Answer 12

Operating Systems

Question 13

What marked the start of the fifth generation of computers?

Answer 13

Artificial Intelligence

Question 14

What is the speed of a processors processing measured in?

Answer 14

Gigahertz (GHz)

Question 15

What hardware component temporarily stores information created by programs and does so in a way the makes this data immediately accessible?

Answer 15

RAM (Random Access Memory)

Question 16

What is the storage device responsible for storing permanent and temporary data?

Answer 16

Hard drive

Question 17

What are the two types of storage devices?

Answer 17

HDD (Hard Disk Drive) and SSD (Solid State Drive)

Question 18

What storage device writes binary data on spinning magnetic disks called platters?

Answer 18

Hard Disk Drive (HDD)

Question 19

What storage device stores data by using static flash memory chips?

Answer 19

Solid State Drive (SSD)

Question 20

What hardware component processes huge amounts of graphical data and focuses almost exclusively on graphics rendering but can also extend the CPU?

Answer 20

GPU (Graphics processing unit)

Question 21

A keyboard, a mouse, and a microphone are all examples of what?

Answer 21

Input devices

Question 22

A monitor, a speaker, and a printer are all examples of what?

Answer 22

Output devices

Question 23

What part of the CPU contains circuitry that performs operations on data such as addition and subtraction?

Answer 23

Arithmetic/Logic Unit (ALU)

Question 24

What part of the CPU contains the circuitry coordinating the machine’s activities?

Answer 24

Control Unit (CU)

Question 25

What type of storage is volatile?

Answer 25

RAM

Question 26

What type of storage is nonvolatile?

Answer 26

ROM

Question 27

What are the various units that support the input and output features of a computer called?

Answer 27

Peripheral Devices

Question 28

What are the wires that serve as electrical roadways, transmitting information between the CPU and other components?

Answer 28

Buses/Bus lines

Question 29

What are the three different types of buses?

Answer 29

Address buses, Data buses, and Control buses

Question 30

What type of bus carries the destination address of where the data is assigned to be processed?

Answer 30

Address bus

Question 31

What type of bus carries data between the processor memory unit, and the input/output devices?

Answer 31

Data bus

Question 32

During which generation did computers see widespread use in business?

Answer 32

Third generation