12 Questions
What is the term 'bit' short for?
Binary digit
In the binary numbering system, what does a turned off bit represent?
0
What does ASCII stand for in computer memory representation?
American Standard Code for Information Interchange
How are characters stored in a computer's memory?
Converted to a numeric code and then stored as a binary number
What is the purpose of a program in the context of a computer?
To tell the CPU to perform operations
Why is the CPU often referred to as the 'computer's brain'?
Because it performs simple operations on pieces of data
What are the limitations of the ASCII character set?
It defines codes for only 128 characters
What distinguishes Unicode from ASCII in terms of character representation?
Unicode can represent characters of many world languages
What is the purpose of writing instructions in 0s and 1s for a CPU?
To allow the CPU to execute the instructions using machine language
Why are machine language instructions always written in binary?
Because binary is the only language that a computer can understand
Why was assembly language created as an alternative to machine language?
To allow people to write programs using human-readable mnemonics
What is the significance of copying a program into main memory, or RAM, each time the CPU executes it?
It facilitates the execution of machine language instructions by the CPU
Study Notes
- A computer's memory is divided into tiny storage locations called bytes, each byte is further divided into eight smaller storage locations called bits.
- A bit can represent one of two values depending on whether it's turned on or off, making it suitable for binary numbering system.
- Characters, including letters and punctuation marks, are stored in computer memory as binary numbers.
- Programs are usually stored on secondary storage devices like disk drives and are copied into main memory (RAM) each time they're executed by the CPU.
- CPU is the central processing unit of a computer that runs programs by performing simple operations on pieces of data. It doesn't understand instructions written in human languages; instead, it uses machine language written in binary code.
- Assembly language was created as an alternative to machine language, using short words called mnemonics instead of binary numbers for instructions.
- ASCII (American Standard Code for Information Interchange) is an important coding scheme for representing characters in computer memory, defining codes for 128 characters including English letters and various punctuation marks.
- Unicode is a more extensive encoding scheme that's compatible with ASCII and can represent characters of many world languages, surpassing ASCII's 128 character limit.
- A program is a list of instructions that tells the CPU to perform specific operations, with each instruction being a command for the CPU.
Explore the fundamental set of programs that control the internal operations of a computer's hardware, including topics such as storage, binary digits, and number representation.
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