Hardware

Question 1

What does a bar code scanner emit to read a bar code?

Answer 1

Laser light

The scanner detects reflected light off the bar code.

Question 2

How do the columns of a bar code correspond to bits?

Answer 2

Black columns are encoded as 1 and white columns as 0

White columns reflect laser light; black columns do not.

Question 3

What is the purpose of parity error checking in a bar code scanner?

Answer 3

To determine which way round the scanner has read the bar code.

Question 4

What is RFID an acronym for?

Answer 4

Radio Frequency Identification

Question 5

What distinguishes passive RFID chips from active RFID chips?

Answer 5

Passive RFID chips do not have their own power source

Active RFID chips have their own power source.

Question 6

How do passive RFID chips get their power?

Answer 6

From nearby radio transmitters or RFID detectors emitting radio waves.

Question 7

What happens when an RFID chip comes within range of an RFID detector?

Answer 7

The chip is powered by radio waves and transmits a unique signal.

Question 8

What device does a digital camera use to capture images?

Answer 8

Charged couple device (CCD)

Question 9

What does the CCD in a digital camera do?

Answer 9

Measures the intensity of light at red, green, and blue wavelengths.

Question 10

What is the process that occurs after light intensity is measured by the CCD?

Answer 10

The intensity is converted to an electrical signal and encoded into binary values.

Question 11

What is the maximum resolution mentioned for modern phone cameras?

Answer 11

40 Mega pixels

Question 12

Fill in the blank: The white columns in a bar code scanner correspond to a _______.

Answer 12

0

Question 13

Fill in the blank: Active RFID chips can transmit over _______ distances.

Answer 13

longer

Question 14

What is at the core of the laser printer?

Answer 14

A drum that turns and rubs against an electrically charged roller

The drum is essential for the printing process in laser printers.

Question 15

What happens to the drum as it rotates?

Answer 15

It gets completely covered in electrons

This process is crucial for the subsequent laser exposure.

Question 16

What effect does the laser beam have on the drum?

Answer 16

It makes areas on the drum that are exposed become neutrally charged

This charge differentiation is key for toner attraction.

Question 17

What charge does the toner have in the hopper?

Answer 17

Negatively charged

This negative charge is critical for its interaction with the drum.

Question 18

How does the toner interact with the drum?

Answer 18

The toner is attracted to the neutrally charged areas and repelled by the negatively charged areas

This selective attraction is vital for forming the printed image.

Question 19

What is the role of the toner in the printing process?

Answer 19

The toner is transferred from the drum onto the positively charged paper.

Question 20

What happens to the paper after the toner is applied?

Answer 20

The paper passes through a heated roller to dry the ink.

Question 21

What is the primary characteristic of secondary storage?

Answer 21

Non-volatile and necessary for saving files

Secondary storage retains data even when the computer is turned off.

Question 22

What types of software are stored in secondary storage?

Answer 22

Operating system and applications

Secondary storage holds software that is essential for the computer’s operation.

Question 23

What are the components of a magnetic disk drive that hold data?

Answer 23

Tracks on the disk platters

Each track contains tiny magnets that represent bits of data.

Question 24

How is data represented in a magnetic disk drive?

Answer 24

Through the polarity of magnets

A magnet’s negative or positive charge determines the binary values of bits.

Question 25

What determines whether bits are read as 0 or 1 in magnetic disk drives?

Answer 25

The polarity of the magnets ## Footnote The write head modifies the magnet's polarity to store data.

Question 26

What is a sector in the context of magnetic disk drives?

Answer 26

A subdivision of a track on the disk ## Footnote Sectors are used to organize data on the disk.

Question 27

What are the advantages of magnetic disk drives?

Answer 27

* Cheap form of storage * Can store massive volumes of data (terabytes) ## Footnote Magnetic disk drives are cost-effective and have high storage capacity.

Question 28

What are the disadvantages of magnetic disk drives?

Answer 28

* Less reliable due to moving parts * Vulnerable to electromagnetic surges * Slow read/write speeds ## Footnote These factors can affect performance and data integrity.

Question 29

What do optical disks use to store data?

Answer 29

Pits and lands on a spiral track ## Footnote Optical disks are read from the inside to the outside.

Question 30

How does an optical disk encode binary values?

Answer 30

Scattered light represents 0 and reflected light represents 1 ## Footnote A laser detects the difference in light reflection to read data.

Question 31

What is an example of an optical disk and its storage capacity?

Answer 31

* Blue-Ray: 25 GB * DVD: 4.7 GB * CD: 700 MB ## Footnote These are common types of optical disks used for various media.

Question 32

True or False: Optical disks are less reliable than magnetic disks.

Answer 32

False ## Footnote Optical disks generally have fewer moving parts compared to magnetic disks, enhancing reliability.

Question 33

What is a key advantage of Solid State Drives (SSDs) regarding data transfer?

Answer 33

Can transfer easily between computers ## Footnote This allows for versatility and convenience in data management.

Question 34

What is a disadvantage of using SSDs compared to other storage methods?

Answer 34

Can scratch easily ## Footnote Physical durability is a concern with SSDs.

Question 35

What is another disadvantage of SSDs in terms of storage capacity?

Answer 35

Not much storage compared with other methods ## Footnote SSDs typically have lower storage capacities than traditional hard drives.

Question 36

What is the main component of Solid State Drives (SSDs)?

Answer 36

NAND flash memory ## Footnote NAND flash is a type of non-volatile storage technology.

Question 37

How is data stored in SSDs?

Answer 37

Data is stored on microchips in arrays of memory cells ## Footnote These memory cells are made up of switches called floating gate transistors.

Question 38

What does the presence of an electron in a memory cell represent?

Answer 38

A bit is encoded as a 0 ## Footnote Conversely, a bit is encoded as a 1 when there is no electron present.

Question 39

What happens to the bits in a block when it is erased?

Answer 39

All the bits are set to 1 ## Footnote This is a necessary step before new data can be written.

Question 40

What is the smallest element that can be written to in SSDs?

Answer 40

Pages ## Footnote Pages consist of many memory cells and are typically 8-16 kB in size.

Question 41

What is the size range for blocks in SSDs?

Answer 41

4-8 MB ## Footnote Blocks contain a number of pages.

Question 42

What is an advantage of SSDs regarding data transfer speed?

Answer 42

Lower latency and much faster at transferring data than other hard disk drives ## Footnote This results in improved performance for applications and file access.

Question 43

What makes SSDs more robust than optical and magnetic storage?

Answer 43

Contain no moving parts ## Footnote This design helps to reduce mechanical failure.

Question 44

What is a benefit of SSDs in terms of noise?

Answer 44

SSDs are quiet ## Footnote This is advantageous for environments that require low noise levels.

Question 45

How do SSDs compare to magnetic hard disk drives in terms of power consumption?

Answer 45

Requires less power ## Footnote This can lead to energy savings and longer battery life in portable devices.

Question 46

What is a disadvantage of SSDs regarding cost?

Answer 46

More expensive per volume of storage ## Footnote This can be a limiting factor for some users.

Question 47

What reliability issue might arise from frequent writing to SSDs?

Answer 47

There is a limit to how many times NAND flash blocks can be erased and written to ## Footnote This can lead to wear and potential data loss over time.