MID- SEMESTER EXMINATION (INTRODUCTION TO COMPUTER SCIENCE)

Shaarvin Kumar Saravanakumar (012019090330)

1. a) There are many advantages of students using computers during this COVID 19
pandemic. Firstly, students can learn many new computer skills such as mastering
Microsoft Powerpoint, Microsoft Word, Microsoft Excel and even Photoshop. This fact
will make it easier for a student to adapt to the inevitable change in the world from
remote to digital learning. Next, using computers for online learning, improves
engagement of a student. By introducing technology into learning, students are
provided with a more fun and enjoyable approach to studying, thus improving their
engagement. Next, computers in learning provide a systematic and tidy approach for
note-taking ad information storage. With the amount of information student s are
forced to consume each day, note- taking for further reference should be prioritized
and with the many programs available on a computer, this makes organizing and
taking in information easier and more efficient, also improving a students’ ability to
retain information. Finally, computers create an easy pathway to the educational side
of the internet. Websites like Google Classroom and Edmodo are clear examples of
the change of education style. As time passes, these sites become more prominent
and will take over classroom learning. A computer provides easy access to sites like
this.

b)

c) There are 5 elements that are found in an information system. Firstly, there is
hardware. This is the physical technology that works with information. An example
would be the body of a smartphone or the monitor of a computer. Next, there is the
software. The role of the software essentially is to tell the hardware what to do. An
example of system softwares would be windows or IOS. Next there are Data.
Components such as databases store data which will then be used by the system to
perform various actions. Then, there is people.This is the human element where the
people need to run manual actions and procedures so that the knowledge in the data
banks can be properly stored for future use. Finally, there is procedures which are a
set of steps set for an information system to follow which prevent any malfunctions
and other problems within the system.
2. a) There are many types of computer users. Firstly, there is the administrator or
admin. This type of user has unrestricted access and has the power to install and
delete applications as well as update the system itself as well as manipulate the
critical system files. Next, there is the home user this type of user uses the computer
for personal financial management as well as internet access and entertainment.
Next, there is the mobile user. This type of user connects their computers on the
internet and often transfer information as well as entertainment such as music and
movies. Next, there is the power user. This type of user works with multimedia and
uses industry-specific software. Finally, there is the enterprise user. This type of user
uses the computer to communicate among employees and process high volume
transactions.

b) Examples of embedded computers are as such. Firstly, there is process

controllers such as pacemakers which function to generate electrical impulses to a
weak heart. Next, there is the thermostat which is used to maintain the temperature
by switching the heating or cooling devices on and off. Then, there is the airbag
control mechanism which function on pressure to determine if the airbags should be
deployed in the case of an accident, Next, there is input devices such as a keyboard
which translate a key into binary code which is then deciphered into a message by
the computer. Finally, there is devices such as digital cameras which use light as an
input which triggers photosensitive cells which then turn them into binary codes to be
deciphered.

3. a) Two types of memory in a system unit include, volatile memory, where it loses its
content when the power is turned off such as RAM. The uses of volatile memory
include primary storage and is usually faster than other forms of mass storage such
as a hard drive. Next, there is non- volatile memory, where it does not lose its
contents when the power is switched off such as ROM. This type of memory usually
refers to semiconductor memory chips which are found in memory cards.

b) Four examples of storage devices are, Hard-Disk Drive, USB Flash Memory,
Compact Device (CD) and even Random Access Memory (ROM)

c) P is Cloud Storage. Examples of Cloud Storage include Google Drive, Microsoft

OneDrive, Apple iCloud, Gmail and even Google Docs. Cloud storage has many
benefits such as, the fact that you can access files from any computer, you can store
 large files immediately, you can also allow others to access or view saved files, you
can store offsite backups and also provide data center functions.

4. a) The picture shown is a graphic processor. It consists of the primary part which
uses programming to break down and use data. In example, the NVIDIA which
produces most of the Graphic Processors actions. Next, in order to improve picture
quality, this processor uses a device called full scene hostile to smoothen images
and bends of 3 dimension.

b) Four names include, INTEL i5, RADEON, NVIDIA and AMD FirePro

c) P- Fetch Instructions
Q- Decode Instructions
R- Perform ALU operations
S- Update to the register file

d) Pipelining is the colleting of instructions from a processor through a pipeline. A

pipeline is a set of data which are arranged such that the output of one is the input of
another. In pipelining, a lot of systems overlap. In non- pipelining systems, this is not
the case. The execution time of pipelining devices is less and is done in less cycles
whereas for non- pipelining, it takes up more time and more cycles.

5. 5 different types of input devices are, firstly, keyboards. A keyboard is an interface

device that has a layout of buttons. Each key corresponds to input either a letter or a
function which is converted from a binary code. They act as the text entry interface
for a lot of devices such as computers and even smartphones. Next, there is the
mouse. The mouse is a type of pointing device that allows a user to input data by
physical movement of the device. These devices can be classified according to
whether their input is direct or indirect. With direct input, the input space is the same
as the display such as touchscreens. Indirect input is where the mouse comes in as
the input space is detached from the display. Next, there are video input devices
such as digital cameras which are devices used to digitize images or video from the
outside world. They work with light as their primary input in their lens which trigger
photosensitive cells which translate into a binary code which will then become a
picture. Next, there are audio input devices such as Microphones which capture
sound. These devices work by using sound as their input which will be translated into
binary code and later into tone, sound, pitch and frequency. These devices allow
users to speak to the computer in order to do things such as record a message.
Finally, there is the composite device such as a television remote. Buttons and pads
are combined together to create an input device where hen one of the buttons is
pressed, it translates into binary code which is then deciphered by a computer and
translates it into the appropriate command.