Computer Secondary Storage Devices

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Questions and Answers

What are some of the places where people use computers?

Only at work

Only at school

Only at home

At school, work, and home (correct)

What devices can be considered computers?

Laptops only

iPods, tablets, and car navigation systems (correct)

Desktop computers only

Smartphones and tablets only

What is a program?

A type of computer hardware

A type of computer software

A set of instructions that a computer follows (correct)

A device that makes up a computer

What is the term used to refer to the physical devices that a computer is made of?

Hardware Signup and view all the answers

Who are the individuals that create computer software?

Programmers or software developers Signup and view all the answers

What is software?

The programs that run on a computer Signup and view all the answers

What is the term used to refer to the programs that run on a computer?

Software Signup and view all the answers

What is a computer?

A system of devices that work together Signup and view all the answers

What are the three steps in the cycle?

Fetch, Decode, Execute Signup and view all the answers

What is the main disadvantage of machine language?

It is difficult to write Signup and view all the answers

What is the purpose of an assembler?

To translate assembly language to machine language Signup and view all the answers

What are Java, C++, Python, Visual Basic, C#, Ada, and Fortran examples of?

High-level languages Signup and view all the answers

What is the difference between assembly language and machine language?

Assembly language uses words, machine language uses numbers Signup and view all the answers

What is the main advantage of high-level languages?

They allow you to create powerful and complex programs without knowing how the CPU works Signup and view all the answers

What is the primary function of secondary storage devices?

To store data Signup and view all the answers

What is the main difference between a solid-state drive and a traditional disk drive?

The speed at which it operates Signup and view all the answers

What is the primary purpose of an external disk drive?

To create a duplicate copy of data Signup and view all the answers

What type of memory is used to store data on a USB drive?

Flash memory Signup and view all the answers

How is data encoded on an optical device such as a CD or DVD?

By laser encoding Signup and view all the answers

What is the main advantage of cloud storage?

It can be accessed from any device with a network connection Signup and view all the answers

What is the term for the data collected by a computer from people and other devices?

Input Signup and view all the answers

What is the hardware component that collects input data?

Input device Signup and view all the answers

What is the basic unit of memory allocation in a computer?

Byte Signup and view all the answers

What is the maximum value that can be stored in a byte with eight bits?

255 Signup and view all the answers

What is the coding scheme used to store characters in a computer's memory?

ASCII Signup and view all the answers

How many bits are there in a byte?

8 Signup and view all the answers

What is the term used to describe the tiny electrical components that can hold either a positive or a negative charge?

Binary digit Signup and view all the answers

What is the purpose of the two's complement method?

To represent negative numbers Signup and view all the answers

What is the term used to describe digital data that is composed of tiny dots of color?

Pixels Signup and view all the answers

What is the term used to describe the breaking of digital sound into small pieces?

Sampling Signup and view all the answers

What is the language that a computer's CPU can understand?

Machine language Signup and view all the answers

What is the term used to describe data that is stored in binary?

Digital data Signup and view all the answers

What is the purpose of key words or reserved words in a programming language?

To have specific meaning and purpose Signup and view all the answers

What is syntax in a programming language?

A set of rules for writing a program Signup and view all the answers

What type of error occurs when a misspelled word is found in a program?

Syntax error Signup and view all the answers

What is the role of a compiler in a programming language?

To translate source code into machine language Signup and view all the answers

What is the difference between a compiler and an interpreter?

A compiler translates source code into machine language, while an interpreter executes the instructions in a program Signup and view all the answers

What type of software is an Operating System?

System software Signup and view all the answers

What is the purpose of system software?

To control or enhance the operation of a computer Signup and view all the answers

What is an example of application software?

Microsoft Word Signup and view all the answers

Study Notes

Secondary Storage Devices

Programs and important data are stored in secondary storage devices.
Disk drives are a common type of secondary storage device.
- Data is stored magnetically on a circular disk.
- Most computers have an internal disk drive.
- Some have external disk drives, used for creating backup copies.
Solid-State Drives (SSDs) are becoming increasingly popular.
- They do not contain a disk and instead store data in solid-state memory.
- They have no moving parts.
- They operate faster than traditional disk drives.

Secondary Storage Devices (continued)

USB drives are small devices that plug into a computer's Universal Serial Bus (USB) port.
- They do not contain a disk.
- Data is stored on flash memory.
- They are also known as memory sticks and flash drives.
- They are inexpensive, reliable, and small.
Optical devices (CD or DVD) store data encoded as a series of pits on the disc's surface.
- They use a laser to encode the data.
- They hold large amounts of data.
- They are a good medium for creating backups.

Cloud Storage

Cloud storage allows users to store data on a remote server via the internet or a company's private network.
Users can access their data from many different devices and from any location with a network connection.
Cloud storage can also be used to backup important data stored on a computer's disk.

Input Devices

Input devices collect data from people and other devices.
Any data collected by a computer is called input.
The hardware component that collects the data is called an input device.

Introduction to Computers and Programming

People use computers in various settings, including school, work, and home.
Devices that are considered computers include smartphones, iPods, tablets, and car navigation systems.
Computers are designed to perform any task that their programs tell them to do.
Programs are a set of instructions that a computer follows to perform a task.
Programs are commonly referred to as software.

Programmers and Software Developers

Programmers or software developers create computer software.
They have the training and skill to design, create, and test computer programs.
Computer programs are used in various fields, including business, education, and healthcare.

Hardware and Software

The physical devices that a computer is made of are referred to as the computer's hardware.
The programs that run on a computer are referred to as software.
A computer is a system of devices that work together.

How Computers Store Data

All data stored in a computer is converted to sequences of 0s and 1s.
A computer's memory is divided into tiny storage locations known as bytes.
One byte represents one number.
A byte is divided into eight smaller storage locations known as bits (binary digits).
Bits are tiny electrical components that can hold either a positive or negative charge.

Storing Numbers

The positive charge or on position is represented by the digit 1.
The negative charge or off position is represented by the digit 0.
This corresponds to the binary numbering system, where all numeric values are written as a sequence of 0s and 1s.
Each digit in a binary number has a value assigned to it.
The largest value that can be stored in a byte with eight bits is 255.
Two bytes are used for larger numbers, with a maximum value of 65535.

Storing Characters

Characters are stored in a computer's memory as binary numbers.
ASCII (American Standard Code for Information Interchange) is a coding scheme used to store characters.
ASCII is a set of 128 numeric codes.
Unicode is an extensive encoding scheme that is compatible with ASCII and represents characters for many languages in the world.

Advanced Number Storage

The binary numbering system can only be used to represent integer numbers.
Negative numbers are encoded using two's complement.
Real numbers are encoded using floating-point notation.

Other Types of Data

Digital data is stored in binary.
A digital device is any device that works with binary data.
Digital images are composed of tiny dots of color known as pixels (picture elements).
Digital sound is broken into small pieces known as samples.

How a Program Works

A computer's CPU can only understand instructions written in machine language.
The fetch-decode-execute cycle is used to execute a program.
The cycle consists of three steps: fetch, decode, and execute.

From Machine Language to Assembly Language

Computers only understand machine language.
Machine language is difficult to write.
Assembly language uses short words known as mnemonics.
An assembler is used to translate an assembly language program to machine language.

High-Level Languages

Assembly language is referred to as a low-level language.
High-level languages allow users to create powerful and complex programs without knowing how the CPU works.
Examples of high-level languages include Java, C++, Python, Visual Basic, C#, Ada, and Fortran.

Key Words, Operators, and Syntax

Key words or reserved words have specific meaning and purpose in a programming language.
Operators perform various operations on data.
Syntax is a set of rules that must be strictly followed when writing a program.
Statements are individual instructions written in a programming language.

Compilers and Interpreters

The statements written in a high-level language are called source code or simply code.
Source code is translated to machine language using a compiler or an interpreter.
Syntax error is a mistake, such as a misspelled word, missing punctuation character, or incorrect use of an operator.
Compiler is a program that translates a high-level language program into a separate machine language program.
An interpreter is a program that both translates and executes the instructions in a high-level language program.

Types of Software

Programs generally fit into one of two categories: system software or application software.
System software controls or enhances the operation of a computer.
Application software makes a computer useful for everyday tasks.
Examples of system software include operating systems, utility programs, and software development tools.
Examples of application software include Microsoft Word, email programs, and web browsers.

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Description

This quiz covers types of secondary storage devices, including disk drives and solid-state drives, how they store data, and their uses.