Revel for Introduction to Python Programming and Data Structures - Chapter 1: Introduction to Computers, Programs, and Python

A set of vocabulary flashcards covering computer architecture components, memory addressing, networking hardware, translation programs, Python fundamentals, and error types based on Chapter 1.

Central Processing Unit (CPU)

The brain of a computer that retrieves instructions from memory and executes them.

Megahertz (MHz)

A unit of measurement for CPU speed, where $1\,\text{megahertz}$ equals $1\,\text{million pulses per second}$.

Gigahertz (GHz)

A unit of measurement for processor speed equal to $1000\,\text{megahertz}$.

Memory

An ordered sequence of bytes used to store data and program instructions for the CPU to execute. It is volatile, meaning its contents are lost when power is turned off.

Byte

The minimum storage unit in a computer, composed of an ordered sequence of $8\,\text{bits}$.

Bit

A binary digit representing one of two stable states in digital devices, denoted by convention as $0$ or $1$.

Storage Devices

Non-volatile hardware components where programs and data are permanently kept, including disk drives, CD drives, and tape drives.

Pixel

Short for "picture elements"; tiny dots that form an image on a display screen.

Resolution

The display specification indicating the number of pixels per square inch on a screen, where higher values yield sharper images.

Dot Pitch

The amount of space between pixels on a display screen, where a smaller value produces a better display.

Modem

A communication device that uses a telephone line to transfer data at speeds up to $56{,}000\,\text{bps}$.

Digital Subscriber Line (DSL)

A high-speed communication connection operating over a telephone line that transfers data at speeds up to $20\,\text{times}$ faster than a regular modem.

Cable Modem

A device that transfers data using the TV cable line maintained by a cable company, offering speeds comparable to DSL.

Network Interface Card (NIC)

A hardware device used to connect a computer to a local area network (LAN), such as a 10BaseT card capable of transferring data at $10\,\text{mbps}$.

Software

Computer programs consisting of instructions that tell the computer hardware what actions to perform.

Machine Language

A primitive instruction set built directly into every computer, written in binary code consisting of zeros and ones.

Assembly Language

A low-level programming language developed to simplify programming by substituting mnemonic codes and abbreviations for binary machine instructions.

Assembler

A specialized program used to translate assembly language programs into native machine code.

High-Level Language

An English-like programming language that is platform-independent, easy to learn, and easy to write.

Source Program

A computer program written in a high-level programming language before it is translated into machine code.

Compiler

A software tool that translates an entire high-level source program into a machine-language object program before execution.

Object Program

The translated machine-language file generated by a compiler from source code, which is typically linked with library code to create an executable file.

Operating System (OS)

A system program that manages and controls all computer activities, hardware resources, and application programs.

Interpreter

A language translator that reads, translates, and executes source code one statement at a time rather than compiling the whole program at once.

Class

A template or blueprint in object-oriented programming that defines the properties and methods shared by objects of the same kind.

Guido van Rossum

The computer programmer who created the open-source Python programming language in the Netherlands in $1990$.

Statement

An instruction in a program that represents an action or a sequence of actions.

Indentation

The blank spaces placed at the beginning of lines of code; in Python, it dictates code blocks and is conventionally set to $4\,\text{spaces}$.

Syntax Error

A programming error caused by improper code construction or violations of language syntax rules.

Runtime Error

An error that occurs while a program is running and causes the program to abort abnormally.

Logic Error

An error in program logic that produces incorrect or unintended output without crashing the program.