Chapter 4:the Components To The System Unit

Front 1

Analog

Back 1

Continuous (wave form) signals.

Front 2

Arithmetic logic unit

Back 2

Component of a processor that performs arithmetic, comparison, and other operations.

Front 3

Bit

Back 3

The smallest unit of data a computer can process. Bit is short for binary digit

Front 4

Byte

Back 4

Eight bits that are grouped together as a unit. A byte provides enough different combinations of 0s and 1s to represent 256 individual characters.

Front 5

Cache

Back 5

Area of memory that stores the contents of frequently used data or instructions.

Front 6

Central processing unit

Back 6

Electronic component on a computer's motherboard that interprets and carries out the basic instructions that operate the computer. Also called a processor.

Front 7

Clock speed

Back 7

Pace of the system clock, measured by the number of ticks per second.

Front 8

Digital

Back 8

Representation of data using only two discrete states: on (1) and off (0).

Front 9

Firewire port

Back 9

Port that can connect multiple types of devices that require faster data transmission speeds.

Front 10

Gigabyte (GB)

Back 10

Approximately 1 billion bytes.

Front 11

Gigahertz (GHz)

Back 11

One billion ticks of the system clock per second.

Front 12

Kilobyte (KB or K)

Back 12

Exactly 1,024 bytes.

Front 13

Megabyte (MB)

Back 13

Approximately 1 million bytes.

Front 14

Memory

Back 14

Electronic components in a computer that store instructions waiting to be executed and data needed by those instructions.

Front 15

Motherboard

Back 15

Main circuit board of the system unit, which has some electronic components attached to it and others built into it. See also system board.

Front 16

Peripheral

Back 16

Device that connects to a system unit and is controlled by the processor in the computer.

Front 17

Port

Back 17

Point at which a peripheral attaches to or communicates with a system unit so it can send data to or receive information from the computer.

Front 18

Processor

Back 18

Electronic component on a computer's motherboard that interprets and carries out the basic instructions that operate the computer. Also called CPU or central processing unit. See also central processing unit (CPU).

Front 19

RAM

Back 19

Type of memory that can be read from and written to by the processor and other devices. Programs and data are loaded into random access memory from storage devices such as a hard disk and remain in random access memory as long as the computer has continuous power. See also main memory.

Front 20

Read-only memory (ROM)

Back 20

Type of nonvolatile memory that is used to store permanent data and instructions.

Front 21

Serial port

Back 21

Type of interface that connects a device to the system unit by transmitting data one bit at a time.

Front 22

Sound card

Back 22

Adapter card that enhances the sound generating capabilities of a personal computer by allowing sound to be input through a microphone and output through external speakers or headset.

Front 23

System clock

Back 23

Small quartz crystal circuit that is used by the processor to control the timing of all computer operations.

Front 24

Terabyte (TB)

Back 24

1 trillion bytes

Front 25

USB port

Back 25

Port that can connect up to 127 different peripherals with a single connector type.