Computing/Electronics TSA Tech Bowl Study Guide

Sections: Computer Hardware, Software, The Internet, Programming, Data, Circuitry,

hardware

the physical, tangible components of a computer system or electronic device that you can see and touch

Central Processing Unit (CPU)

the primary component that executes instructions from software, performs calculations, and manages data flow. It processes input data and converts it into output, controlling other hardware components like memory and input/output devices.

Random Access Memory (RAM)

a computer's short-term, high-speed volatile memory used to temporarily store active data, applications, and operating system instructions for immediate access by the CPU

motherboard

the main circuit board in a computer system. It connects all of the internal components, like the memory, processor, graphics card and other hardware

Cache

Small, high-speed memory inside the CPU used to store frequently accessed data.

WiFi

Wireless technology for connecting devices to networks using radio waves.

Bluetooth

Short-range wireless communication standard for device-to-device connection.

Universal Serial Bus (USB)

Standard for connecting and transferring data/power between devices.

Register

Small, ultra-fast memory location inside the CPU for immediate data processing.

Hard Disk Drive (HDD)

Storage device using spinning magnetic disks.

Solid State Drive (SSD)

Storage device using flash memory; faster, no moving parts.

Flash Drive

Portable USB storage device using flash memory.

SD Card (Secure Digital Card)

Small flash memory card used in cameras and devices.

Firmware

Low-level software permanently programmed into hardware.

Operating System (OS)

Software that manages hardware and runs applications.

Linux

Open-source operating system based on Unix.

Windows

Operating system developed by Microsoft.

macOS

Operating system developed by Apple for Mac computers.

Android

Mobile operating system developed by Google.

iOS

Mobile operating system developed by Apple.

UEFI / BIOS

Firmware that starts the computer and loads the OS. BIOS = Basic Input/Output System. UEFI = Modern replacement for BIOS.

Open Source Code

Source code publicly available for modification.

Closed Source Code

Source code not publicly available.

Terminal / Console

Text-based interface used to run commands.

Web Browser

Software used to access websites (e.g., Chrome).

Search Engine

Service that finds websites based on keywords (e.g., Google).

Client

Device or software that requests services from a server.

Server

Computer that provides data or services to clients.

Local Area Network (LAN)

Network covering a small area (home, school).

Wide Area Network (WAN)

Network covering large areas (Internet).

Switch

Network device that connects devices within a LAN using MAC addresses.

Hub

Basic network device that broadcasts data to all connected devices.

Router

Device that directs data between different networks using IP addresses.

Modem

Device that converts digital data to signals for internet transmission.

IP Address (Internet Protocol Address)

Unique numerical identifier for a device on a network.

DNS Server (Domain Name System)

Translates domain names into IP addresses.

Domain

Human-readable website name (e.g., example.com).

Port

Logical communication endpoint identified by a number (e.g., 80 for HTTP).

Top-Level Domain (TLD)

Last part of domain name (e.g., .com, .org).

Subdomain

Prefix added before a domain (e.g., mail.example.com).

HTTP (Hypertext Transfer Protocol)

Protocol for transferring web pages.

FTP (File Transfer Protocol)

Protocol for transferring files between computers.

SSH (Secure Shell)

Encrypted protocol for secure remote access.

Hyperlink

Clickable text or image that links to another resource.

World Wide Web (WWW)

System of interlinked web pages accessed via the internet.

Fiber Optic Cables

Cables that transmit data using light signals.

TCP/IP (Transmission Control Protocol / Internet Protocol)

Core protocol suite for internet communication. TCP ensures reliable delivery; IP handles addressing and routing.

UDP (User Datagram Protocol)

Faster but less reliable data transmission protocol.

Integrated Development Environment (IDE)

Software providing tools for writing and debugging code.

Assembly

Low-level programming language closely tied to machine code.

Low-Level Language

Language close to machine hardware (e.g., assembly).

High-Level Language

Human-readable programming language (e.g., Python).

Compiler

Program that translates high-level code into machine code.

Object-Oriented Programming (OOP)

Programming paradigm based on objects and classes.

JavaScript

High-level scripting language primarily used for web development.

Python

High-level, general-purpose programming language.

C

Powerful, low-level programming language.

C++

Extension of C with object-oriented features.

Java

High-level, object-oriented programming language.

HTML (HyperText Markup Language)

Markup language used to structure web pages.

SQL (Structured Query Language)

Language used to manage databases.

Function

Reusable block of code that performs a task.

Algorithm

Step-by-step procedure to solve a problem.

Integer

Whole number.

String

Sequence of characters (text).

Floating Point Number

Number with decimal point.

Variable

Named storage location for data.

Boolean

Data type with two values: true or false.

Conditional

Statement that executes code based on a condition.

If Statement

Runs code if a condition is true.

For Loop

Repeats code a specific number of times.

While Loop

Repeats code while a condition is true.

OR Gate

Outputs true if at least one input is true.

AND Gate

Outputs true only if both inputs are true.

NOT Gate

Reverses input (true becomes false).

XOR Gate

Outputs true if inputs are different.

Operator

Symbol that performs an operation (+, -, *, /, ==).

Bit

Smallest unit of data (0 or 1).

Byte

8 bits.

Binary

Base-2 number system (0 and 1).

Hexadecimal

Base-16 number system (0–9, A–F).

Base64

Encoding method representing binary data as text.

Plaintext

Readable, unencrypted data.

ASCII

Character encoding standard using 7 bits.

Unicode / UTF-8

Character encoding standard supporting global characters.

Morse Code

Communication system using dots and dashes.

PDF (Portable Document Format)

File format preserving document layout.

JPEG

Image format using lossy compression.

PNG

Image format using lossless compression.

EXE File

Executable program file (Windows).

ZIP File

Compressed archive file.

Data Compression

Reducing file size.

Lossy Compression

Compression that loses some data.

Lossless Compression

Compression with no data loss.

File Archives

Files that store multiple files in one container.

Magic Bytes

File signature identifying file type.

Cryptography

Science of secure communication.

Steganography

Hiding information within other data.

Symmetric Encryption

Uses one key for encryption and decryption.

Asymmetric Encryption

Uses public and private key pair.