First Test Review
Tuesday, September 30, 2008 // 6:22 PM
I've decided to keep track of all the tests we've had in the year by putting a review here that I used to review & study for the test. This way, it will be easier to study when the exams come along.
This first test was on Powerpoint, Computer Components, and Binary Code.
Computer Components:RGB monitor- stands for Red Green Blue
- uses the three colours to combine and mix to form the visuals you see on screen
- has three electron guns & vacuum tube
- fires electrons at screen
Mouse
- 3 types of mouse: LED, laser & optical
- laser & LED mice: based on reflection of light
- no signals can be transmitted if LED or laser mice are on opaque glass
- optical mouse comes with ball for navigation
- has 2 rollers (front + back)
- ball breaks light, computer receives light which interprets light into electronic signals
Motherboard
- mom of the house
- commands computer to do things
- connected to all parts
- main function: process using processor (CPU)
- fan ontop of processor to cool it down
- process works in hertz (cycles)
- usually works in megahertz (million cycles)
- BIOS (Basic Input Output System) is in motherboard
- BIOS tells computer to test memory to see if it still works & it stores info so when you turn on your PC, it can tell the computer what to do
- form facter means the way its built or how its shaped
- modem turns binary data into sound, uses cord to transfer sound to phone line
- processors use electricity to do math calculations & to process information
- hard drive is permanently stored on computer
- memory is visual on computer, can be used right now
- byte is 1 or 0, byte is a combination of 1 to 8, 1024 bytes is a kilobyte, million bytes is a megabyte. 1000 MB is a gigabyte
- optical drive is when light is used to read info
Video Card- takes binary data from CPU, turns it into graphics we can see
- helps CPU reduce amount of tasks being done
- enables CPU to concentrate on other important tasks
- expensive graphic cards are coated in gold, inexpensive ones in silver
- coated because computer gets very hot when in use & fan ontop of CPU cools it down, gold/silver coating helps make faster
Hard Drive/Memory (RAM)
- hard drive is long term storage
- RAM is for storing what you are using right now
- RAM: table displaying your books
- Hard Drive: bookshelf that holds books
- USB key made in flash, maintains info even if you turn off computer
- hard drive uses magnets to store binaries
CPU
- Central Processing Unit
- located on motherboard, data passes through continuously
- always getting commands to be done
- four steps in receiving & to finish the command
- control unit decides what command means & directs data to be moved from memory to arithmetic logic unit (ALU). Arithmetic logic unit is signs of addition, subtraction, division, multiplication that are used by a programming language
- ALU does processing on data
- results are stored in memory or register
Keyboards
- connected to computer with cable
- laptops have inside connectors
- cables take power to keyboard & signals from keyboard back to computer
- signals that come through are monitored by computer keyboard controller
- primary device to enter data into computer
LCD Monitor
- two pieces of polarized glass with liquid crystal particles in middle that alter the light coming through to display various images on the screen
- polarized glass: glass that is designed to only allow light to pass through a certain direction
CD ROM
- stores info on data pads
- DOT (name of the laser that reads your CD)
- while CD is spinning, laser moves up from center of CD, slowly, to read it
- uses a laser to read bumps & bits
- pixel is short for picture element = red green blue
- computer can display 256 levels of colours
Mr. Case's 3 Rules of Powerpoint
1) The most important part of the presentation is the presenter.
2) You should know your topic so well that you can present even without the aid of your powerpoint.
3) Do not put animations or sounds that will distract people from your powerpoint. You want people to focus on your presentation not just your power point.
Binary Code
- the language computers speak and process through
- in our every day numbers, we go by base of ten numbers (e.g. 10, 100, 1000, 10000) but base of binary code goes up by multiplying 2 (e.g. 1, 2, 4, 8, 16, 32, 64, 128)
- in binary code, you only use the numbers 1 and 0
- you look at the place value of the base of the binary code and you try to add up to the sum of the number you want
For example:
Number your trying to make: 45
Place value: 64, 32, 16, 8, 4, 2, 1
>>>>>>>>>>>>1, 0, 1, 1, 0, 1
So to put it into words, I tried to make 45 out of the sum of the numbers in the base value. I don't need 64 to make 45 because it's over the value. I move on to 32, which I need to make 45. Then I go to 16, and I realize I can't make 45 with 32 + 16 because that would be 48 which is over the amount. I do need an 8 because that would bring up the number to 40, which is close to 45. I need a 4 which would make it 44 but I don't need a 2 because it would make it 46 which is over. Finally, I use one which makes it 45.
Labels: Binary Code, Computer components, Powerpoint, Test Review