Comp-Sci Terms

what is the binary system?

numbers system that computers use to process information

what is a bit?

the most fundamental unit of datat in a computer

what is a byte?

8 bits

what is a pixel?

a square inside of a 2D image with a position in a 2D grid and a single color value

what is a voxel?

a cube inside of a 3D model that contains a position inside a 3D grid and a single color value

What is a local area network (LAN)?

a group of computers/network devices connected together, usually within the same building

What is a metropolitan area network (MAN)?

a larger network that usually spans several buildings in the same city or town

what is a wide area network (WAN)?

connects several LANs, may eb limited to an enterprise or accessible to the public

ex: the internet

what is million instructions per second (MIPS)?

an approximate measure of a computer’s raw processing power/computational speed

what is read only memory (ROM)?

a type of non-changeable memory in computers. data stored in ROM cannot be electronically modified after the manufacture of the memory device

what is random access memory (RAM)?

you system’s short-term data storage; stores the info your computer is actively using so it can be accessed quickly

slow computation may be bc RAM is decreasing

What is parallel processing?

divides tasks into pieces, with each piece being solved on a separate processor (increasing speed)