Chapter test: Basic Computer Terminology, Hardware and Software

Explanation: Firmware is software embedded in hardware, such as BIOS or UEFI. Freeware and shareware are licence categories, and malware is harmful software.

Explanation: The order is vacuum tubes, transistors, integrated circuits, microprocessors with VLSI, and then artificial intelligence in the fifth generation.

Explanation: A touchscreen displays output and accepts touch input at the same time. A scanner is input only, while a plotter and a laser printer are output only.

Explanation: A warm boot is a restart while the machine is powered on. A cold boot starts it from a switched-off state. POST is the self-test that runs during booting.

Explanation: A loader loads a program into memory so that it can be executed. The other three are language translators.

Explanation: MICR reads the magnetic-ink code line printed at the bottom of a cheque. OCR recognises printed characters and OMR detects marks on answer sheets.

Explanation: RAM loses its contents when power is switched off. ROM, EPROM and flash memory all retain data without power.

Explanation: An operating system such as Windows is system software. Excel, Tally and Photoshop are application software, each built for a specific user task.

Explanation: A compiler translates the whole program at once and reports all errors together. An interpreter works line by line, an assembler handles only assembly language, and a loader does not translate at all.

Explanation: A nibble is 4 bits. A byte is 8 bits, which is two nibbles. The 8-bit value is the usual distractor here.

Explanation: The ALU performs arithmetic operations and logical comparisons. The Control Unit coordinates operations but does not calculate, and registers only hold data temporarily.

Explanation: 2048 x 512 = 1,048,576 KB. Dividing by 1024 gives 1024 MB, and dividing again gives 1 GB. Shortcut: 2048 is 2 to the power 11 and 512 is 2 to the power 9, so the total is 2 to the power 20 KB, which is exactly 1 GB.

Explanation: Freeware is free to use but need not be open. Open source means the source code is released under an open licence, and shareware is free only for a trial period.

Explanation: The memory hierarchy runs Register, Cache, RAM, then secondary storage. Shortcut: Register must be first, which removes two options, and Cache must come before RAM, which removes the third.

Explanation: Statements 1 and 3 are correct. Statement 2 is false because freeware is free of cost but need not be open source. The word always is the clue that the statement is wrong.