Computer Hardware, Software, and Programming Fundamentals Review

Comprehensive review flashcards covering hardware components, binary and data representation, Python programming concepts, decision structures, and loop constructs.

What is a set of instructions that a computer follows to perform a task?

Program

What are the physical devices that a computer is made of referred to as?

Hardware

What is the part of a computer that runs programs called?

The CPU

What are CPUs known as today?

Microprocessors

Where does a computer store a program while it is running, along with the data it is working with?

Main memory

What volatile type of memory is used only for temporary storage while a program is running?

RAM

What type of memory can hold data for long periods of time, even when there is no power to the computer?

Secondary storage

What component collects data from people or other devices and sends it to the computer?

An input device

What type of device is a video display?

An output device

How much memory is enough to store a letter of the alphabet or a small number?

A byte

How many bits make up a single byte?

Eight bits

In which numbering system are all numeric values written as sequences of 0s and 1s?

Binary numbering system

What value does a bit represent when it is turned off?

0

What is the set of 128 numeric codes used to represent English letters, punctuation marks, and other characters?

ASCII

Which extensive encoding scheme can represent characters for many languages in the world?

Unicode

Which technique is used to encode negative numbers?

Two's complement

Which technique is used to encode real numbers?

Floating point

What are the tiny dots of color that digital images are composed of called?

Pixels

What would you see if you looked directly at a machine language program?

A stream of binary numbers

In which part of the fetch-decode-execute cycle does the CPU determine which operation it should perform?

Decode

What is the only language that a CPU can directly understand and execute?

Machine language

What program translates an assembly language program to a machine language program?

Assembler

What are the words that make up a high-level programming language called?

Keywords

What are the rules that must be followed when writing a program?

Syntax

What type of program translates a high-level language program into a separate machine language program?

Compiler

What type of error does not prevent a program from running, but causes it to produce incorrect results?

Logic error

What is a single function that a program must perform in order to satisfy the customer?

Software requirement

What is a set of well-defined logical steps that must be taken to perform a task?

Algorithm

What is an informal language with no syntax rules that is not meant to be compiled or executed?

Pseudocode

What is a diagram that graphically depicts the steps taking place in a program?

Flowchart

What is a sequence of characters called?

String

What is a name that references a value in the computer's memory?

Variable

Who is any hypothetical person using a program and providing input for it?

User

How must a string literal be enclosed in Python?

In either single-quotes or double-quotes

What are short notes placed in different parts of a program explaining how those parts work called?

Comments

What type of statement makes a variable reference a value in memory?

Assignment statement

Which symbol marks the beginning of a comment in Python?

#

In the expression 12 + 7, what are the values on the right and left of the + symbol called?

Operands

Which Python operator performs integer division?

//

Which Python operator raises a number to a power?

**

Which operator performs division and returns the remainder instead of the quotient?

%

What built-in function can be used to read input typed on the keyboard?

input()

Which built-in function converts an int value to a float?

float()

What is an unexplained value that appears in a program's code called?

Magic number

What is a name that represents a value that does not change during program execution?

Named constant

What structure can execute a set of statements only under certain circumstances?

Decision structure

What structure provides one alternative path of execution?

Single alternative decision structure

What type of expression has a value of either True or False?

Boolean expression

What kind of operators are >, <, and ==?

Relational operators

Which statement is used to write a single alternative decision structure?

if statement

Which statement is used to write a dual alternative decision structure?

if-else statement

What kind of operators are and, or, and not?

Logical operators

A compound Boolean expression created with which operator is true only if both subexpressions are true?

and operator

A compound Boolean expression created with which operator is true if either subexpression is true?

or operator

Which operator takes a Boolean expression as its operand and reverses its logical value?

not operator

What is a Boolean variable that signals when some condition exists in a program?

Flag

What type of loop uses a true/false condition to control repetitions?

Condition-controlled loop

What type of loop repeats a specific number of times?

Count-controlled loop

What is each repetition of a loop known as?

Iteration

What type of loop is the while loop?

Pretest loop

What is a loop that has no way of ending and repeats until the program is interrupted?

Infinite loop

What type of variable keeps a running total?

Accumulator

What is a special value that signals when there are no more items from a list to process?

Sentinel

What does GIGO stand for?

Garbage in, garbage out

What is the input operation that appears just before a validation loop known as?

Priming read

What are validation loops also known as?

Error traps