MIS 3 3rd edition hossein bidgoli test bank

Chapter 2: Computers: The Machines Behind Computing TRUE/FALSE An object code must be translated into source code in order for the computer to be able to read and execute ANS: F PTS: TOP: A-head: Defining a Computer REF: 24 NAT: BUSPROG: Technology KEY: Bloom's: Knowledge The hardware components of a computer system consist of programs written in computer languages ANS: F PTS: TOP: A-head: Defining a Computer REF: 24 NAT: BUSPROG: Technology KEY: Bloom's: Knowledge Both the ALU and the control unit are part of the BIOS ANS: F PTS: TOP: A-head: Defining a Computer REF: 25 NAT: BUSPROG: Technology KEY: Bloom's: Knowledge A bus can be internal or external ANS: T PTS: TOP: A-head: Defining a Computer REF: 25 NAT: BUSPROG: Technology KEY: Bloom's: Knowledge A computer with a 32-bit processor can perform calculations with larger numbers and be more efficient with smaller numbers than a 64-bit system ANS: F PTS: TOP: A-head: Defining a Computer REF: 25 NAT: BUSPROG: Technology KEY: Bloom's: Knowledge A serial port is a communication interface through which information is transferred one bit at a time ANS: T PTS: TOP: A-head: Defining a Computer REF: 25 NAT: BUSPROG: Technology KEY: Bloom's: Knowledge Very-large-scale integration (VLSI) circuits were introduced in the fifth generation computers ANS: F PTS: REF: 26 NAT: BUSPROG: Technology TOP: A-head: The History of Computer Hardware and Software KEY: Bloom's: Knowledge ENIAC is an example of a first-generation computer ANS: T PTS: REF: 26 NAT: BUSPROG: Technology TOP: A-head: The History of Computer Hardware and Software KEY: Bloom's: Knowledge A byte is a single value of or ANS: F PTS: REF: 28 NAT: BUSPROG: Technology TOP: A-head: The Power of Computers KEY: Bloom's: Knowledge 10 An Extended ASCII data code allows representation of 1024 characters ANS: T PTS: TOP: A-head:The Power of Computers REF: 28 NAT: BUSPROG: Technology KEY: Bloom's: Knowledge 11 A petabyte is 230 bytes ANS: F PTS: TOP: A-head: The Power of Computers REF: 28 NAT: BUSPROG: Technology KEY: Bloom's: Knowledge 12 Computers and communication systems use data codes to represent and transfer data between computers and network systems ANS: T PTS: TOP: A-head: The Power of Computers REF: 28 NAT: BUSPROG: Technology KEY: Bloom's: Knowledge 13 The split keyboard has been developed for better ergonomics ANS: T PTS: REF: 29 TOP: A-head: Input, Output, and Memory Devices NAT: BUSPROG: Technology KEY: Bloom's: Knowledge 14 Light pen is an output device ANS: F PTS: REF: 29 TOP: A-head: Input, Output, and Memory Devices NAT: BUSPROG: Technology KEY: Bloom's: Knowledge 15 Trackballs are ideal for notebook computers because they occupy less space than a mouse ANS: T PTS: REF: 29 TOP: A-head: Input, Output, and Memory Devices NAT: BUSPROG: Technology KEY: Bloom's: Knowledge 16 A disadvantage of trackball is that positioning is sometimes less precise than with a mouse ANS: T PTS: REF: 29 TOP: A-head: Input, Output, and Memory Devices NAT: BUSPROG: Technology KEY: Bloom's: Knowledge 17 Inkjet printers produce characters by projecting electrically charged droplets of ink onto paper that create an image ANS: T PTS: REF: 30 TOP: A-head: Input, Output, and Memory Devices NAT: BUSPROG: Technology KEY: Bloom's: Knowledge 18 Random access memory can be read from and written to ANS: T PTS: REF: 30 TOP: A-head: Input, Output, and Memory Devices NAT: BUSPROG: Technology KEY: Bloom's: Knowledge 19 A magnetic disk is a type of secondary memory device ANS: T PTS: REF: 31 TOP: A-head: Input, Output, and Memory Devices NAT: BUSPROG: Technology KEY: Bloom's: Knowledge 20 The contents of Programmable read-only memory (PROM) can be erased and reprogrammed ANS: F PTS: REF: 31 TOP: A-head: Input, Output, and Memory Devices NAT: BUSPROG: Technology KEY: Bloom's: Knowledge 21 A magnetic tape stores data sequentially ANS: T PTS: REF: 31 TOP: A-head: Input, Output, and Memory Devices NAT: BUSPROG: Technology KEY: Bloom's: Knowledge 22 A redundant array of independent disks (RAID) system is a collection of disk drives used for fault tolerance and improved performance ANS: F PTS: REF: 32 TOP: A-head: Input, Output, and Memory Devices NAT: BUSPROG: Technology KEY: Bloom's: Knowledge 23 Flash memory is used in memory cards ANS: T PTS: REF: 32 TOP: A-head: Input, Output, and Memory Devices NAT: BUSPROG: Technology KEY: Bloom's: Knowledge 24 A SAN is a dedicated high-speed network consisting of both hardware and software used to connect and manage shared storage devices, such as disk arrays, tape libraries, and optical storage devices ANS: T PTS: REF: 32 TOP: A-head: Input, Output, and Memory Devices NAT: BUSPROG: Technology KEY: Bloom's: Knowledge 25 NAS is composed of arrays such that if one disk in the array fails, data is not lost ANS: F PTS: REF: 33 TOP: A-head: Input, Output, and Memory Devices NAT: BUSPROG: Technology KEY: Bloom's: Knowledge 26 A NAS offers only storage; a SAN system offers both storage and file services ANS: T PTS: REF: 33 TOP: A-head: Input, Output, and Memory Devices NAT: BUSPROG: Technology KEY: Bloom's: Knowledge 27 NAS is popular for Web servers and e-mail servers because it lowers management costs and helps make these servers more fault tolerant ANS: T PTS: REF: 33 TOP: A-head: Input, Output, and Memory Devices NAT: BUSPROG: Technology KEY: Bloom's: Knowledge 28 With NAS, as the number of users increase, the performance increases too ANS: F PTS: REF: 33 TOP: A-head: Input, Output, and Memory Devices NAT: BUSPROG: Technology KEY: Bloom's: Knowledge 29 Sometimes, 4GLs are called procedural languages ANS: F PTS: TOP: A-head: Computer languages REF: 37 NAT: BUSPROG: Technology KEY: Bloom's: Knowledge 30 C++ and Java are examples of high-level language ANS: T PTS: TOP: A-head: Computer Languages REF: 37 NAT: BUSPROG: Technology KEY: Bloom's: Knowledge MULTIPLE CHOICE An advantage of silicon over gallium arsenide is that: a it’s less fragile than gallium arsenide c it withstands higher temperatures than gallium arsenide b it survives much higher doses of radiation d it emits light, whereas gallium arsenide than gallium arsenide does not ANS: A PTS: REF: 26 NAT: BUSPROG: Technology TOP: A-head: The History of Computer Hardware and Software KEY: Bloom's: Knowledge Transistor was the major technology used during the generation of hardware a first c third b second d fourth ANS: B PTS: REF: 26 NAT: BUSPROG: Technology TOP: A-head: The History of Computer Hardware and Software KEY: Bloom's: Knowledge IBM System z10 is an example of a computer a second-generation c fourth-generation b third-generation d fifth-generation ANS: D PTS: REF: 26 NAT: BUSPROG: Technology TOP: A-head: The History of Computer Hardware and Software KEY: Bloom's: Knowledge One of the major disadvantages of silicon is that: a mass production of silicon devices is c it is very soft and fragile difficult b it cannot emit light d it is very costly ANS: B PTS: REF: 26 NAT: BUSPROG: Technology TOP: A-head: The History of Computer Hardware and Software KEY: Bloom's: Knowledge is 1/1,000,000,000,000 of a second a Millisecond b Microsecond ANS: D PTS: TOP: A-head: The Power of Computers c Nanosecond d Picosecond REF: 27 NAT: BUSPROG: Technology KEY: Bloom's: Knowledge means saving data in computer memory and retrieval is accessing data from memory a Encapsulation c Assembling b Replication d Storage ANS: D PTS: TOP: A-head: The Power of Computers REF: 27 NAT: BUSPROG: Technology KEY: Bloom's: Knowledge How many bytes is a data of 48 bits? a b 24 ANS: B PTS: TOP: A-head: The Power of Computers c 64 d 384 REF: 28 NAT: BUSPROG: Technology KEY: Bloom's: Application Extended ASCII data code allows representation of: a 64 characters c 256 characters b 129 characters d 1024 characters ANS: C PTS: TOP: A-head: The Power of Computers A is the size of a character a nibble b bit ANS: C PTS: TOP: A-head: The Power of Computers REF: 28 NAT: BUSPROG: Technology KEY: Bloom's: Knowledge c byte d word REF: 28 NAT: BUSPROG: Technology KEY: Bloom's: Knowledge 10 In a(n) file, each alphabetic, numeric, or special character is represented with a 7-bit binary number a EBCDIC c ASCII b Unicode d extended ASCII ANS: C PTS: TOP: A-head: The Power of Computers 11 ASCII defines up to characters a b 128 ANS: B PTS: TOP: A-head: The Power of Computers REF: 28 NAT: BUSPROG: Technology KEY: Bloom's: Knowledge c 258 d 1024 REF: 28 NAT: BUSPROG: Technology KEY: Bloom's: Knowledge 12 Computers and communication systems use _ to represent and transfer information between computers and network systems a Optical character reader (OCR) c data codes b light pens d Magnetic ink character recognition (MICR) ANS: C PTS: TOP: A-head: The Power of Computers 13 Which of the following is an input device? a Optical character reader b Plotter REF: 28 NAT: BUSPROG: Technology KEY: Bloom's: Knowledge c Display monitor d Printer ANS: A PTS: REF: 29 TOP: A-head: Input, Output, and Memory Devices NAT: BUSPROG: Technology KEY: Bloom's: Knowledge 14 _ works on the same principle as a barcode reader but reads text instead of barcodes a Optical character reader (OCR) c Light pen b Magnetic ink character recognition d Touch screen (MICR) system ANS: A PTS: REF: 29 TOP: A-head: Input, Output, and Memory Devices NAT: BUSPROG: Technology KEY: Bloom's: Knowledge 15 _ is the most common output device for soft copy a Liquid crystal display c Laser printer b Inkjet printer d Voice synthesis device ANS: A PTS: REF: 30 TOP: A-head: Input, Output, and Memory Devices 16 The Clipboard’s contents are stored on a ROM b RAM NAT: BUSPROG: Technology KEY: Bloom's: Knowledge c PROM d EPROM ANS: B PTS: REF: 30 TOP: A-head: Input, Output, and Memory Devices NAT: BUSPROG: Technology KEY: Bloom's: Knowledge 17 memory, which is nonvolatile, holds data when the computer is off or during the course of a program’s operation a Raw c Secondary b Open d Replicated ANS: C PTS: REF: 30 TOP: A-head: Input, Output, and Memory Devices 18 ROM is different from RAM in that: a it is volatile b it is a secondary memory NAT: BUSPROG: Technology KEY: Bloom's: Knowledge c it is nonvolatile d data can only be written to it, not read ANS: C PTS: REF: 31 TOP: A-head: Input, Output, and Memory Devices NAT: BUSPROG: Technology KEY: Bloom's: Knowledge 19 A(n) is a type of memory that stores data sequentially a RAM c optical disk b magnetic tape d RAID ANS: B PTS: REF: 31 TOP: A-head: Input, Output, and Memory Devices 20 A common type of _ is WORM disc a Magnetic storage b Optical storage NAT: BUSPROG: Technology KEY: Bloom's: Knowledge c RAM d ROM ANS: B PTS: REF: 31 TOP: A-head: Input, Output, and Memory Devices NAT: BUSPROG: Technology KEY: Bloom's: Knowledge 21 CD-ROMs and DVDs are examples of _ a magnetic tapes c optical discs b RAM d main memory ANS: C PTS: REF: 31 TOP: A-head: Input, Output, and Memory Devices 22 The term RAID stands for NAT: BUSPROG: Technology KEY: Bloom's: Knowledge a b c d random access for independent disks redundant access for independent devices random array of independent drives redundant array of independent disks ANS: D PTS: REF: 32 TOP: A-head: Input, Output, and Memory Devices NAT: BUSPROG: Technology KEY: Bloom's: Knowledge 23 Typically, are used only in large enterprises because of their cost and installation complexity a SANs c CD-ROMs b NASs d hard disks ANS: A PTS: REF: 32 TOP: A-head: Input, Output, and Memory Devices NAT: BUSPROG: Technology KEY: Bloom's: Knowledge 24 _ allow off-site users to connect to network resources, such as network file storage, printers, and databases a Remote access servers (RAS) c Application servers b Web servers d Disk servers ANS: D PTS: TOP: A-head: Classes of Computers 25 An example of a(n) _ is UNIX a SAN b RAID ANS: D PTS: TOP: A-head: What Is Software? REF: 34 NAT: BUSPROG: Technology KEY: Bloom's: Knowledge c server d operating system REF: 35 NAT: BUSPROG: Technology KEY: Bloom's: Knowledge 26 _ is a function performed by control programs that manages computer resources, such as storage and memory a b Job management Resource allocation ANS: B PTS: TOP: A-head: What Is Software? 27 c d Data management Communication REF: 35 NAT: BUSPROG: Technology KEY: Bloom's: Knowledge _ is a function performed by control programs that controls data integrity by generating checksums to verify that data has not been corrupted or changed a c Data management Job management b d Communication Resource allocation ANS: C PTS: TOP: A-head: What Is Software? REF: 35 NAT: BUSPROG: Technology KEY: Bloom's: Knowledge 28 _ is a function performed by control programs that controls the transfer of data among parts of a computer system, such as exchange of information between the CPU and I/O devices a Job management c Data management b Resource allocation d Communication ANS: D PTS: TOP: A-head: What Is Software? REF: 35 NAT: BUSPROG: Technology KEY: Bloom's: Knowledge 29 The control programs managing computer hardware and software perform the function to control and prioritize tasks performed by the CPU a application management c data management b resource allocation d job management ANS: D PTS: TOP: A-head: What Is Software? REF: 35 NAT: BUSPROG: Technology KEY: Bloom's: Knowledge 30 The supervisor program of an OS is called the a kernel c job manager b resource allocator d data manager ANS: A PTS: TOP: A-head: What Is Software? REF: 35 NAT: BUSPROG: Technology KEY: Bloom's: Knowledge 31 OSs allow several users to use computer resources simultaneously a Kernel c Hierarchical b Web-driven d Time-shared ANS: D PTS: TOP: A-head: What Is Software? REF: 35 NAT: BUSPROG: Technology KEY: Bloom's: Knowledge 32 An operating system (OS) is: a a set of programs for controlling and c is a collection of disk drives used for fault managing computer hardware and tolerance, typically in large network software systems b a computer and all the software for d the main circuit board containing managing network resources and offering connectors for attaching additional boards services to a network ANS: A PTS: TOP: A-head: What Is Software? REF: 35 NAT: BUSPROG: Technology KEY: Bloom's: Knowledge 33 Which of the following computer languages is the easiest to use? a Assembly language c Fourth-generation language b First-generation language d Machine language ANS: C PTS: TOP: A-head: Computer Languages REF: 35 NAT: BUSPROG: Technology KEY: Bloom's: Knowledge 34 _ computer languages are machine independent and are called high-level languages a First-generation b Second-generation ANS: C PTS: TOP: A-head: Computer Languages 35 Java and C++ are languages a assembly b high-level ANS: B PTS: TOP: A-head: Computer Languages c Third-generation d Fourth-generation REF: 37 NAT: BUSPROG: Technology KEY: Bloom's: Knowledge c machine d second-generation computer REF: 37 NAT: BUSPROG: Technology KEY: Bloom's: Knowledge COMPLETION The is the heart of a computer ANS: central processing unit (CPU) PTS: REF: 25 TOP: A-head: Defining a Computer NAT: BUSPROG: Technology KEY: Bloom's: Knowledge The tells the computer what to do, such as instructing the computer which device to read or send output to ANS: control unit PTS: REF: 25 TOP: A-head: Defining a Computer NAT: BUSPROG: Technology KEY: Bloom's: Knowledge bits equal byte ANS: PTS: REF: 28 TOP: A-head: Defining a Computer NAT: BUSPROG: Technology KEY: Bloom's: Knowledge is a light-sensitive stylus connected to the monitor with a cable When it is placed on an on-screen location, the data in that spot is sent to the computer ANS: Light pen PTS: REF: 29 NAT: BUSPROG: Technology TOP: A-head: Input, Output, and Memory Devices KEY: Bloom's: Knowledge The most common type of main memory is a semiconductor memory chip made of ANS: silicon PTS: REF: 30 NAT: BUSPROG: Technology TOP: A-head: Input, Output, and Memory Devices KEY: Bloom's: Knowledge read-only memory is similar to PROM, but its contents can be erased and reprogrammed ANS: Erasable programmable PTS: REF: 31 NAT: BUSPROG: Technology TOP: A-head: Input, Output, and Memory Devices KEY: Bloom's: Knowledge A(n) disk made of Mylar or metal is used for random-access processing ANS: magnetic PTS: REF: 31 NAT: BUSPROG: Technology TOP: A-head: Input, Output, and Memory Devices KEY: Bloom's: Knowledge discs use laser beams to access and store data ANS: Optical PTS: REF: 31 NAT: BUSPROG: Technology TOP: A-head: Input, Output, and Memory Devices KEY: Bloom's: Knowledge A SAN offers only storage; a(n) system offers both storage and file services ANS: network attached storage (NAS) network attached storage NAS PTS: REF: 33 NAT: BUSPROG: Technology TOP: A-head: Input, Output, and Memory Devices KEY: Bloom's: Knowledge 10 computers are usually compatible with the IBM System/360 line introduced in 1965 ANS: Mainframe PTS: REF: 33 TOP: A-head: Classes of Computers NAT: BUSPROG: Technology KEY: Bloom's: Knowledge 11 servers store Web pages for access over the Internet ANS: Web PTS: REF: 34 TOP: A-head: Classes of Computers NAT: BUSPROG: Technology KEY: Bloom's: Knowledge 12 The function of an operating system manages computer resources, such as storage and memory ANS: resource allocation PTS: REF: 35 TOP: A-head: What Is Software? NAT: BUSPROG: Technology KEY: Bloom's: Knowledge 13 Microsoft PowerPoint is the most commonly used software ANS: presentation PTS: REF: 36 TOP: A-head: What Is Software? NAT: BUSPROG: Technology KEY: Bloom's: Knowledge 14 software is used for drafting and design and has replaced traditional tools, such as T-squares, triangles, paper, and pencils ANS: Computer-aided design (CAD) Computer-aided design CAD PTS: REF: 37 TOP: A-head: What Is Software? NAT: BUSPROG: Technology KEY: Bloom's: Knowledge 15 Imagine that you could ask your computer, “What product generated the most sales last year?”and the computer responds with a correct answer facilitate such natural conversations ANS: NLP PTS: REF: 38 TOP: A-head: Computer Languages NAT: BUSPROG: Technology KEY: Bloom's: Application SHORT ANSWER Provide a general description of how to write a computer program ANS: To write a computer program, first you must know what needs to be done, and then you must plan a method to achieve this goal, including selecting the right language for the task Many computer languages are available; the language you select depends on the problem being solved and the type of computer you’re using Regardless of the language, a program is also referred to as the “source code.” This source code must be translated into object code consisting of binary 0s and 1s PTS: REF: 24 TOP: A-head: Defining a Computer NAT: BUSPROG: Technology KEY: Bloom's: Knowledge What is a bus? ANS: A bus is a link between devices connected to the computer It can be parallel or serial, internal (local) or external PTS: REF: 25 TOP: A-head: Defining a Computer NAT: BUSPROG: Technology KEY: Bloom's: Knowledge Write a short note on single processor and multiprocessor systems ANS: Some computers have a single processor; other computers, called "multiprocessors," contain multiple processors Multiprocessing is the use of two or more CPUs in a single computer system Generally, a multiprocessor computer has better performance than a single-processor computer in the same way that a team would have better performance than an individual on a large, time-consuming project PTS: REF: 25 TOP: A-head: Defining a Computer What is a motherboard? ANS: NAT: BUSPROG: Technology KEY: Bloom's: Knowledge A motherboard is the main circuit board containing connectors for attaching additional boards In addition, it usually contains the CPU, Basic Input/Output System (BIOS), memory, storage, interfaces, serial and parallel ports, expansion slots, and all the controllers for standard peripheral devices, such as the display monitor, disk drive, and keyboard PTS: REF: 25 TOP: A-head: Defining a Computer NAT: BUSPROG: Technology KEY: Bloom's: Knowledge Write a note on computer speed On what basis is the speed determined? ANS: Typically, computer speed is measured as the number of instructions performed during the following fractions of a second: • Millisecond: 1/1000 of a second • Microsecond: 1/1,000,000 of a second • Nanosecond: 1/1,000,000,000 of a second • Picosecond: 1/1,000,000,000,000 of a second PTS: REF: 27 TOP: A-head: The Power of Computers NAT: BUSPROG: Technology KEY: Bloom's: Knowledge What is a binary system? ANS: A binary system consists of 0s and 1s, with a representing “on” and a representing “off,” similar to a light switch PTS: REF: 28 TOP: A-head: The Power of Computers NAT: BUSPROG: Technology KEY: Bloom's: Knowledge Write a note on touch screens ANS: Touch screens, which usually work with menus, are actually a combination of input devices Some touch screens rely on light detection to determine which menu item has been selected, and others are pressure sensitive Touch screens are often easier to use than keyboards, but they might not be as accurate because selections can be misread You probably saw touch screens used extensively during the 2012 presidential election to quickly show electoral maps and analyze election data in different ways PTS: REF: 29 NAT: BUSPROG: Technology TOP: A-head: Input, Output, and Memory Devices KEY: Bloom's: Knowledge What are the most common output devices for soft copy? ANS: The most common output devices for soft copy are cathode ray tube (CRT), plasma display, and liquid crystal display (LCD) PTS: REF: 30 NAT: BUSPROG: Technology TOP: A-head: Input, Output, and Memory Devices KEY: Bloom's: Knowledge What are the main types of secondary memory? ANS: There are three main types: magnetic disks, magnetic tape, and optical discs PTS: REF: 31 NAT: BUSPROG: Technology TOP: A-head: Input, Output, and Memory Devices KEY: Bloom's: Knowledge 10 What is the reason for the popularity of memory sticks? ANS: Memory sticks have become popular because of their small size, high storage capacity, and decreasing cost PTS: REF: 32 NAT: BUSPROG: Technology TOP: A-head: Input, Output, and Memory Devices KEY: Bloom's: Knowledge 11 Explain how RAID provides fault tolerance and improved performance ANS: With RAID, data can be stored in multiple places to improve the system’s reliability In other words, if one disk in the array fails, data isn’t lost In some RAID configurations, sequences of data can be read from multiple disks simultaneously, which improves performance PTS: REF: 32 NAT: BUSPROG: Technology TOP: A-head: Input, Output, and Memory Devices KEY: Bloom's: Knowledge 12 What is a fax server? ANS: Fax servers contain software and hardware components that enable users to send and receive faxes PTS: REF: 34 TOP: A-head: Classes of Computers NAT: BUSPROG: Technology KEY: Bloom's: Knowledge 13 What is a print server? ANS: Print servers enable users to send print jobs to network printers PTS: REF: 34 TOP: A-head: Classes of Computers NAT: BUSPROG: Technology KEY: Bloom's: Knowledge 14 Write a note on desktop publishing software ANS: Desktop publishing software is used to produce professional-quality documents without expensive hardware and software This software works on a “what-you-see-is-what-you-get” (WYSIWYG, pronounced “wizzy-wig”) concept, so the high-quality screen display gives you a good idea of what you’ll see in the printed output PTS: REF: 36 TOP: A-head: What Is Software? 15 What is an assembly language? NAT: BUSPROG: Technology KEY: Bloom's: Knowledge ANS: Assembly language is the second generation of computer languages It is a higher-level language than machine language but is also machine dependent It uses a series of short codes, or mnemonics, to represent data or instructions PTS: REF: 37 TOP: A-head: Computer Languages NAT: BUSPROG: Technology KEY: Bloom's: Knowledge ESSAY Provide a definition for a computer and explain the purpose of a computer program ANS: A computer is defined as a machine that accepts data as input, processes data without human intervention by using stored instructions, and outputs information The instructions, also called a “program,” are step-by-step directions for performing a specific task, written in a language the computer can understand Remember that a computer only processes data (raw facts); it can’t change or correct the data that’s entered If data is erroneous, the information the computer provides is also erroneous This rule is sometimes called GIGO: garbage in, garbage out PTS: REF: 24 TOP: A-head: Defining a Computer NAT: BUSPROG: Technology KEY: Bloom's: Knowledge Describe the use of gallium arsenide as a replacement for silicon ANS: As silicon can’t emit light and has speed limitations, computer designers have concentrated on technology using gallium arsenide, in which electrons move almost five times faster than in silicon Devices made with this synthetic compound can emit light, withstand higher temperatures, and survive much higher doses of radiation than silicon devices The major problems with gallium arsenide are difficulties in mass production This material is softer and more fragile than silicon, so it breaks more easily during slicing and polishing Because of the high costs and difficulty of production, the military is currently the major user of this technology However, research continues to eliminate some shortcomings of this technology PTS: REF: 26 NAT: BUSPROG: Technology TOP: A-head: The History of Computer Hardware and Software KEY: Bloom's: Knowledge What is the most common type of main memory? Describe the purpose of cache RAM ANS: The most common type of main memory is a semiconductor memory chip made of silicon A semiconductor memory device can be volatile or nonvolatile Volatile memory is called random access memory (RAM), although you could think of it as “read-write memory.” In other words, data can be read from and written to RAM Some examples of the type of information stored in RAM include open files, the Clipboard’s contents, running programs, and so forth A special type of RAM, called cache RAM, resides on the processor Because memory access from main RAM storage generally takes several clock cycles (a few nanoseconds), cache RAM stores recently accessed memory so the processor isn’t waiting for the memory transfer PTS: REF: 30-31 NAT: BUSPROG: Technology TOP: A-head: Input, Output, and Memory Devices KEY: Bloom's: Knowledge Describe the data management function of an operating system ANS: This function controls data integrity by generating checksums to verify that data hasn’t been corrupted or changed Briefly, when the OS writes data to storage, it generates a value (the checksum) along with the data The next time this data is retrieved, the checksum is recalculated and compared with the original checksum If they match, the integrity is intact If they don’t, the data has been corrupted somehow PTS: REF: 35 TOP: A-head: What Is Software? NAT: BUSPROG: Technology KEY: Bloom's: Knowledge Write a short note on fifth-generation languages and briefly describe some of its features ANS: Fifth-generation languages (5GLs) use some of the artificial intelligent technologies, such as knowledge-based systems, natural language processing (NLP), visual programming, and graphical approach to using programming Codes are automatically generated and designed to make the computer solve a given problem without a programmer or with minimum programming efforts These languages are designed to facilitate natural conversations between you and the computer Imagine that you could ask your computer, “What product generated the most sales last year?” Your computer, equipped with a voice synthesizer, could respond, “Product X.” Dragon NaturallySpeaking Solutions is an example of NLP Research continues in this field because of the promising results so far PTS: REF: 38 TOP: A-head: Computer Languages NAT: BUSPROG: Technology KEY: Bloom's: Knowledge