6. Answer the following questions.
(a) What is a computer ? Write three characteristics which make it a
powerful device.
(b) What is the difference between Hardware and Software?
(c) What are storage devices? Name any two.
(d) Name the different parts of the CPU and write the function of each.
(e) What do you understand by IPO cycle?
Answers
Answer:
a) A computer works with much higher speed and accuracy compared to humans while performing mathematical calculations. Computers can process millions (1,000,000) of instructions per second. The time taken by computers for their operations is microseconds and nanoseconds.
b) Hardware refers to the physical and visible components of the system such as a monitor, CPU, keyboard and mouse. Software, on the other hand, refers to a set of instructions which enable the hardware to perform a specific set of tasks.
c) The RAM and cache memory are the examples of the primary storage devices. Secondary storage devices: The hard disk, USB storage devices and optical disk drive are examples of secondary storage devices, which are designed to store data permanently.
d) The CPU is made up of three main components, the control unit , the immediate access store and the arithmetic and logic unit .
e) IPO refers to Input, Output and Process. As the title suggests, the IPO cycle is the input & output after the process of the information.