Year 11 Computer Education Flashcards

A comprehensive set of vocabulary flashcards covering the key concepts from the Year 11 Computer Education curriculum, including hardware, software, programming, and data processing.

Computer

An electronic device that accepts input data, processes data, stores data, and produces output as useful information.

Hardware

The physical equipment which makes up a computer system, such as a monitor, keyboard, processor, and printer.

Software

A set of computer programs consisting of instructions that tell the hardware how to perform specific tasks.

Data

A collection of raw, unprocessed facts, figures, and symbols.

Information

Processed facts that are organized, meaningful, and useful.

System

A set of interrelated parts that performs different functions to achieve the same desired results.

Input Unit

A component that inputs instructions from the user and passes them to the processing unit.

Processor

The unit that processes instructions, prepares results instantly, and passes them to the output unit.

Input Device

Gathers and translates input into machine language, which is a form that computers can process.

QWERTY Keyboard

A standard keyboard named after the first six leftmost letters on the top alphabetic line.

Traditional Keyboards

Full-sized, rigid, rectangular keyboards that include function, navigational, and numeric keys.

Ergonomic Keyboards

Keyboards designed with a non-rectangular arrangement and a palm rest to alleviate wrist strain from repetitive typing.

Point-of-Sale (POS) Terminal

A terminal used in supermarkets that utilizes a bar code reader to identify products and print receipts.

Universal Product Code (UPC)

A bar code system used by supermarkets to identify products to the computer system.

RFID (radio-frequency identification)

Tiny chips embedded in items containing electronically stored information that can be read using a reader from several yards away.

Magnetic Ink Character Recognition (MICR)

A direct entry method used by banks to read magnetized ink numbers at the bottom of checks.

Optical Mark Recognition (OMR)

Also known as mark sensing, this device senses the presence or absence of marks, such as pencil marks on multiple-answer exam sheets.

Output Device

Any peripheral device that converts machine-readable information into people-readable form.

Liquid Crystal Display (LCD)

A monitor that produces an image by manipulating light within a layer of liquid crystal cells, known for being compact and lightweight.

Cathode Ray Tube (CRT)

An older type of monitor using a deep tube that is bulky and consumes a fair amount of power.

Impact Printer

A printer that forms characters by mechanical means, hitting the paper through an inked ribbon; it is fairly loud and can produce carbon copies.

Laser Printer

A non-impact printer that uses a laser beam to create electrical charges that attract toner to form an image on paper.

3-D Printer

Also known as additive manufacturing, it creates three-dimensional shapes by adding thin layer after layer of material.

Plotter

A special-purpose output device that uses pens to draw multicolor line drawings on paper, often used for Computer Aided Design (CAD).

Motherboard

The main printed, flat circuit board in an electronic device that contains expansion slots and connects all computer components.

Microprocessor

A silicon chip containing a Central Processing Unit (CPU); it is the heart of personal computers.

Word Size

The number of bits, such as $8$, $16$, $32$, or $64$, that a CPU can process at one time.

Random Access Memory (RAM)

Temporary or volatile storage that holds the data or instructions that the CPU is presently processing.

Read Only Memory (ROM)

A memory chip that stores instructions and data permanently; its contents are placed at the time of manufacture and cannot be changed by the user.

CMOS Chip

Provides flexibility and expandability by storing essential information required every time the computer is turned on, such as date and time.

System Clock

A device that controls the speed of all operations within a computer, expressed in Hertz ($Hz$).

Bit

Binary digit, the smallest unit of memory, which is either $0$ or $1$.

Byte

A unit of memory consisting of $8$ bits; it is the smallest unit representing a data item or character.

USB (Universal Serial Bus)

A versatile port that is faster than serial and parallel ports and can connect several devices to the system unit.

Secondary Storage

Also called auxiliary storage, it holds data and programs permanently even after the power is turned off.

Head Crash

Occurs when the read/write head contacts the magnetic disk surface, destroying data on a hard disk.

Compact Disc Read-Only Memory (CD-ROM)

An optical disk that cannot be written on and stores up to $650\,MB$ of multimedia data.

Blu-ray Disc (BD)

An optical disc storage medium designed to supersede DVD, containing $25\,GB$ per layer.

Solid State Storage

Portable storage that provides fast access to data, uses very little power, and has no moving parts, such as USB flash drives.

Supercomputer

The largest, fastest, and most expensive type of computer, capable of processing speed reaching one quadrillion instructions per second.

Ergonomics

The study of the relationship between people and their working environment to design safe and productive systems.

Repetitive Strain Injury (RSI)

Injuries resulting from fast, repetitive work that cause neck, wrist, hand, and arm pain, such as carpal tunnel syndrome.

Uninterruptible Power Supply (UPS)

A power protection device that supplies a consistent level of electrical power to a computer during brownouts and blackouts.

Green Computing

The environmentally responsible use of computers and related resources, aimed at energy efficiency and proper electronic waste disposal.

E-waste

Electronic waste, including discarded computer parts that may contain poisonous materials like lead, chromium, and cadmium.

System Software

A set of programs that manage or control a computer's resources and act as an interface between the user and hardware.

Operating System (OS)

A set of programs that coordinate computer resources and provide a user interface to run applications.

Device Driver

A specialized program that allows a particular input, output, or communication device to communicate with the computer system.

Language Translator

A program that converts programming instructions written by humans into a machine language that computers understand.

Graphical User Interface (GUI)

A user interface that uses icons, pointers, and menus to allow users to interact with the operating system.

Word Processing

Application software used to create, edit, save, and print text-based documents like reports and letters.

WYSIWYG

Stands for 'What You See Is What You Get,' meaning the image on the screen looks exactly like the final printed document.

Spreadsheet

An electronic worksheet used to organize and manipulate numbers in columns and rows for calculation and 'what-if' analysis.

Database Management System (DBMS)

A software package used to structure, set up, and retrieve information from a database.

Integrated Package

A single program that combines the functionality of several applications, such as word processing, spreadsheet, and database, into one.

Artificial Intelligence (AI)

A field of computer science that attempts to develop systems that mimic human senses, thought processes, and actions.

Programming

Also known as Software Development, a six-step procedure for creating a list of instructions for the computer to follow.

Algorithm

A systematic logical approach used to solve problems in a computer, often written as a list of steps in English.

Flowchart

A graphic representation of the steps necessary to solve a programming problem using standardized symbols.

Syntax Error

An error that occurs when the rules of a programming language are broken, such as misspelling a command.

Machine Language

The first generation of programming languages, consisting of codes written in binary ($0$s and $1$s).

Assembly Language

The second generation of programming languages, which uses abbreviations or mnemonics instead of binary code; considered low-level.

Compiler

A translator that converts a programmer's source code into a machine language object code all at once to be run later.

Interpreter

A translator that converts procedural language into machine code one statement at a time just before execution.

Batch Processing

A method where data is collected over a period of time and then processed all at once as a single group.

Real Time Processing

Occurs when data is processed at the same time the transaction happens, such as during an ATM withdrawal.

Resource Locking

A database maintenance technique that prevents problems when two or more users attempt to update the same data simultaneously.

Structured Query Language (SQL)

A widely used query language that uses commands like SELECT and JOIN to retrieve specific information from a database.