AP Computer Science Principles Study Guide

These flashcards cover key vocabulary and concepts from the AP Computer Science Principles curriculum, focusing on internet protocols, data representation, programming fundamentals, and security.

What is an innovation?

a new or improved idea, device, or product

What is binary?

number system that only uses the digits 1 and 0

What is a bit?

short for “binary digit”; the single unit of information in a computer

What is bandwidth?

transmission capacity measure by bit rate

What is bit?

a contraction of “binary digit”; the single unit of information in a computer, typically represented as a 0 or 1

What is bit rate?

how many bits are conveyed or processed per unit of time, e.g., 8 bits/sec

What is latency?

time it takes for a bit to travel from its sender to its receiver

What is a protocol?

a set of rules directing the transmission of data between multiple devices

What is the Internet?

A tangible, physical system made to move information, including wires, cables, and Wifi.

What is an IP Address?

A number assigned any item that is connected to the Internet.

What is a packet?

A small block of information formed from a larger block of information that is sent over a network.

What is Network Redundancy?

Having multiple backups to ensure Reliability during cases of high usage or failure

What is a Router?

A type of computer that forwards data across a network

What are packets?

small chunks of information that have been carefully formed from larger chunks of information

What is TCP (Transmission Control Protocol)?

provides reliable, order, and error – checked delivery of a stream of packets on the Internet

What is DNS?

short Domain Name System, this system translates domain names (like example.com) to IP addresses (like 93.184.216.34)

What is the principle that all Internet traffic should be treated equally by Internet Service Providers?

Net Neutrality

What is the IETF?

Internet Engineering Task Force- develops and promotes voluntary Internet standards and protocols, in particular the standards that comprise the Internet protocol suite (TCP/IP)

What is the Internet?

a huge computer network linking computer systems around the world; provides information and communication services

What is HTTP?

HyperText Transfer Protocol - the protocol used for transmitting web pages over the Internet

What is ASCII?

American Standard Code for Information Interchange

What is Abstraction?

a simplified representation of something complex. These allow you to hide details to help you manage complexity, focus on relevant concepts, and reason about problems at a higher level.

What is a URL?

An easy-to-remember address for calling a web page (like www.code.org)

What is a Heuristic?

A problem solving approach (algorithm) to find a satisfactory solution where finding an exact solution is impractical.

What is Lossless Compression?

A data compression algorithm that allows the original data to be perfectly reconstructed from the compressed data.

What is Lossy Compression?

A data compression method that uses inexact approximations, discarding some data to represent the content. Most commonly seen in image formats like .jpg.

What is an Image?

A type of data used for graphics or pictures.

What is Metadata?

Is data that describes other data. For example, a digital image may include metadata that describe the size of the image, number of colors, or resolution.

What is a Pixel?

Short for "picture element", the fundamental unit of a digital image, typically a tiny square or dot that contains a single point of color of a larger image.

What is Hexadecimal?

A base-16 number system that uses sixteen distinct symbols 0-9 and A-F to represent numbers from 0 to 15.

What is RGB?

The RGB color model uses varying intensities of (R)ed, (G)reen, and (B)lue light are added together in to reproduce a broad array of colors.

Define abstraction.

Abstraction reduces information and detail to facilitate focus on relevant concepts. It is a process, a strategy, and the result of reducing detail to focus on concepts relevant to understanding and solving problems

Define algorithm

An algorithm is a precise sequence of instructions for a process that can be executed by a computer

What is Sequencing?

Putting commands in correct order so computers can read the commands

What is an Algorithm?

A list of steps to finish a task.

What is a High Level Programming Language?

A programming language with many commands and features designed to make common tasks easier to program. Any high level functionality is encapsulated as combinations of low level commands.

What is a Low Level Programming Language?

A programming language that captures only the most primitive operations available to a machine. Anything that a computer can do can be represented with combinations of low level commands

What does Iterate mean?

To repeat in order to achieve, or get closer to, a desired goal.

What is Selection?

A generic term for a type of programming statement (usually an if-statement) that uses a Boolean condition to determine, or select, whether or not to run a certain block of statements

What is Pair Programming?

A method of programming in which two programmers write code using a single computer

What is Turtle Programming?

A classic method for learning programming with commands to control movement and drawing of an on-screen robot called a "turtle"

What is a Function?

A named bit of programming instructions

What is a Parameter?

A name value provided as input to a function

Application Program Interface

What does API stand for?

What is a Library?

A collection of commands made available to a programmer

What is a Parameter?

An extra piece of information passed to a function to customize it for a specific need

What is a Key?

Allows the leader to unlock the secret message

Computing power will double every 1.5-2 years.

What is the formula to Moore’s Law?

What is Big Data?

A broad term for datasets so large or complex that traditional data processing applications are inadequate.

What is a One-pager?

A business/corporate term for a one-page document that summarizes a large issue, topic or plan.

What is a Computing Innovation?

A computer program that uses programming code as an essential part of its functionality

What is a Caesar Cipher?

A technique for encryption that shifts the alphabet by some number of characters

What is a Cipher?

The generic term for a technique (or algorithm) that performs encryption

What is Cracking encryption?

When you attempt to decode a secret message without knowing all the specifics of the cipher, you are trying to "crack" the encryption

What is Decryption?

A process that reverses encryption, taking a secret message and reproducing the original plain text

What is Encryption?

A process of encoding messages to keep them secret, so only "authorized" parties can read it.

What is a Random Substitution Cipher?

An encryption technique that maps each letter of the alphabet to a randomly chosen other letters of the alphabet

What does Computationally Hard mean?

A "hard' problem for a computer is one in which it cannot arrive at a solution in a reasonable amount of time.

What is a Private Key?

An asymmetric encryption scheme the decryption key is kept private and never shared, so only the intended recipient has the ability to decrypt a message that has been encrypted with a public key.

What is Public Key Encryption?

Used prevalently on the web, it allows for secure messages to be sent between parties without having to agree on, or share, a secret key

What is Antivirus Software?

Usually keeps big lists of known viruses and scans your computer looking for the virus programs in order to get rid of them.

What is a DDoS Attack - Distributed Denial of Service Attack?

Typically a virus installed on many computers (thousands) activate at the same time and flood a target with traffic to the point the server becomes overwhelmed.

What is a Firewall?

Software that runs on servers (often routers) that only allows traffic through according to some set of security rules.

What is a Phishing Scam?

A thief trying to trick you into sending them sensitive information

What is SSL/TLS?

Secure Sockets layer / Transport Layer Security

What is a Virus?

A program that runs on a computer to do something the owner of the computer does not intend.

What is a Callback function?

A function specified as part of an event listener; it is written by the programmer but called by the system as the result of an event trigger.

What is an Event?

An action that causes something to happen.

What is an Event-driven program?

A program designed to run blocks of code or functions in response to specified events (e.g. a mouse click)

What is Event handling?

An overarching term for the coding tasks involved in making a program respond to events by triggering functions.

What is an Event listener?

A command that can be set up to trigger a function when a particular type of event occurs on a particular UI element.

What are UI Elements?

On-screen objects, like buttons, images, text boxes, pull down menus, screens and so on.

What is a User Interface?

The visual elements of a program through which a user controls or communicates with the application.

What is a Variable?

A label for a piece of information used in a program.

What is Debugging?

Finding and fixing problems in an algorithm or program.

What is a Data Type?

All values in a programming language have a "type" - such as a Number, Boolean, or String - that dictates how the computer will interpret it.

What is an Expression?

Any valid unit of code that resolves to a value.

What is ==?

The equality operator (sometimes read: "equal equal") is used to compare two values and returns a Boolean (true/false)

What is a Global Variable?

A variable whose scope is "global" to the program, it can be used and updated by any part of the code

What is the common programming structure that implements "conditional statements"?

If-Statement

What is a Local Variable?

A variable with local scope is one that can only be seen, used and updated by code within the same scope

What is Variable Scope?

Dictates what portions of the code can "see" or use a variable, typically derived from where the variable was first created

What does Concatenate mean?

To link together or join. Typically used when joining together text Strings in programming (e.g. "Hello, "+name)

What is a String?

Any sequence of characters between quotation marks (ex: "hello", "42", "this is a string!").

What are Conditionals?

Statements that only run when certain conditions are true.

What is a Boolean?

A single value of either TRUE or FALSE

What is a Boolean Expression?

In programming, an expression that evaluates to True or False.

What is &&?

More complex decisions sometimes require two things to be true

What is ||?

Returns true when either expression is true and false otherwise

What is !?

Returns false if the expression is true; otherwise, returns true

What are Models and Simulations?

A program which replicates or mimics key features of a real world event in order to investigate its behavior without the cost, time, or danger of running an experiment in real life.

What is a for loop?

Loops that have a predetermined beginning, end, and increment (step interval).

What is a Loop?

The action of doing something over and over again

What is a while loop?

A programming construct used to repeat a set of commands (loop) as long as (while) a boolean condition is true

What is an array?

A data structure in JavaScript used to represent a list.

What is a List?

A generic term for a programming data structure that holds multiple items

What is a Key Event?

In JavaScript an event triggered by pressing or releasing a key on the keyboard

What is a function?

Gives a name to a set of parameter driven actions you want the computer to perform, and optionally return a value

What is a Return Value?

A value sent back by a function to the place in the code where the function was called from