Hardware

Question 1

What are the 2 parts the micro processor is divided into

Answer 1

Arithmetic and Logic Unit (ALU)
Control Unit (CU)

Question 2

Explain what the ALU is

Answer 2

The ALU is responsible for all the arithmetic that the CPU does. It will add and subtract numbers, compare one number to another and do various logical operations such as ANDing and ORing

Question 3

What is the speed of the processor measured in

Answer 3

It is measured in GHz and typically handle either 32 or 64 bits at a time

Question 4

What can happen to the processor

Answer 4

The processor can get very hot and cooling it quickly is essential for good performance

Question 5

What are the 2 types of main memory in a PC

Answer 5

Random Access Memory (RAM)
Read Only Memory (ROM)

Question 6

What is RAM

Answer 6

Normal memory which the program uses, and changes the controls of, as a result of calculations. The information only resides in memory for as long as power is supplied to the computer.

Question 7

How much RAM would a laptop or desktop have

Answer 7

A laptop or desktop would typically have about 4GB or 8GB, but can have up to 32GB.

Question 8

How much RAM would a phone have

Answer 8

A phone will typically have about 2GB or 4GB.

Question 9

How much RAM would a games console have

Answer 9

Around 8GB

Question 10

What is ROM

Answer 10

ROM permanently holds a (small) program (called the “boot strap”) which is immediately executed when switching on the machine and it allows you to load a more complicated program from disk

Question 11

What is the function of the Operating System (O/S)

Answer 11

The O/S allows you to run programs

Question 12

List input devices

Answer 12

The keyboard
Mouse
Games controller
Scanner
Digital camera
Touch sensitive screen
Microphone
Biometric scanners

Question 13

List outputs devices

Answer 13

Monitors
Data projectors
Printers
Headphones/speakers

Question 14

What does LCD and CRT mean and how are they different

Answer 14

LCD = Liquid Crystal Display
CRT = Cathode Ray Tube

LCD are thin and light monitors, whilst CRT are thick and heavy monitors

Question 15

What is the resolution of a HD ready screen

Answer 15

1080x720

Question 16

What is the resolution of a HD screen

Answer 16

1920x1080

Question 17

What is the resolution of Ultra HD (4k)

Answer 17

3840x2160

Question 18

List the different forms of storage

Answer 18

Hard drives
USB memory keys
SD cards
CDs, DVDs and Floppy Disks

Question 19

List the specs of a hard drive

Answer 19

High volume/fast (120-500GB/current max about 8TB for mainstream) and can be internal or external

The internal drive in a laptop is typically about 250GB, in a desktop 500GB+

Question 20

List the specs of USB memory keys

Answer 20

High volume/moderately expensive (typically 1-8GB/current max about 128GB)

Question 21

What is the function of SD cards

Answer 21

They come in standard, mini and micro. They are designed for use in portable devices and can be up to a number of TB

Question 22

What are binary numbers

Answer 22

All computers use binary numbers 1 and 0.
For arithmetic - adding and subtracting
For logic - AND, OR & NOT
Everything any computer does is eventually broken down into a combination of 0s and 1s.

Question 23

Who invented hardware

Answer 23

Charles Babbage designed the difference engine in the 1820s - the first non-human computer

Question 24

Explain what the CU is

Answer 24

The CU is the boss of the CPU. It asks the memory for instructions and data. It tells the ALU what numbers to use and what operation to carry out on them and controls the operation of all peripheral devices.