Computing Components

Question 1

access time

Answer 1

the time it takes for a system to retrieve data from memory or storage

Question 2

addressability

Answer 2

the capability of a system to access and manipulate each unit of data in memory individually

Question 3

arithmetic logic unit (ALU)

Answer 3

the part of the CPU that performs arithmetic calculations and logical operations

Question 4

block

Answer 4

a fixed-size unit of data stored and accessed on a disk or in memory

Question 5

bus width

Answer 5

the number of bits that can be transmitted simultaneously on a data bus, affecting data transfer speed

Question 6

cache memory

Answer 6

a small, fast type of volatile memory that stores frequently accessed data to speed up processing

Question 7

central processing unit (CPU)

Answer 7

the main component of a computer that executes instructions and processes data

Question 8

control unit

Answer 8

the part of the CPU that directs its operation, managing the execution of instructions and coordinating other components

Question 9

cylinder

Answer 9

a set of tracks located at the same position on multiple disk platters in a hard drive

Question 10

input unit

Answer 10

devices and components used to input data into a computer system, such as keyboards and mice

Question 11

instruction register

Answer 11

a register in the CPU that holds the current instruction being executed

Question 12

latency

Answer 12

the delay before a transfer of data begins following an instruction for its transfer

Question 13

motherboard

Answer 13

the main circuit board of a computer, housing the CPU, memory, and other essential components

Question 14

output unit

Answer 14

devices and components used to output data from a computer system, such as monitors and printers

Question 15

pipelining

Answer 15

a CPU performance enhancement technique where multiple instruction phases are overlapped to improve processing speed

Question 16

program counter

Answer 16

a register in the CPU that holds the address of the next instruction to be executed

Question 17

register

Answer 17

a small, fast storage location within the CPU used to hold temporary data and instructions

Question 18

sector

Answer 18

the smallest unit of data storage on a disk, typically part of a track

Question 19

track

Answer 19

a circular path on the surface of a disk where data is magnetically recorded and read

Question 20

transfer rate

Answer 20

the speed at which data can be transmitted from one device to another, usually measured in bits per second