CSIS 110 Week 2 Quiz: Computer
Organization and Number Systems
and Logic Gates | Score 20/20
EXAM
Section 1: Computer Organization (Questions 1–20)
Q1: What does CPU stand for?
A: Central Processing Unit.
Rationale: It is the primary component of a computer that interprets and executes
instructions.
Q2: Which component of the CPU is responsible for performing arithmetic (like
addition) and logical comparisons (like AND/OR)?
A: ALU (Arithmetic Logic Unit).
Rationale: The ALU handles all mathematical computations and bitwise logical
operations. The Control Unit directs traffic, but the ALU does the actual math.
Q3: What is the function of the Control Unit?
A: It directs the flow of data and instructions within the CPU and between other
components.
Rationale: The Control Unit decodes instructions and generates control signals to tell
the ALU, memory, and I/O devices what to do.
Q4: Which type of memory is volatile, meaning it loses its data when the computer
powers off?
A: RAM (Random Access Memory).
Rationale: RAM requires constant power to hold data. ROM (Read-Only Memory) is
non-volatile and retains data without power.
,Q5: What are the small, ultra-fast memory locations located directly inside the CPU
called?
A: Registers.
Rationale: Registers are the fastest memory in the hierarchy. Examples include the
Program Counter (PC) and the Accumulator (ACC).
Q6: What is the name of the "highway" system that transfers data between the
CPU, memory, and I/O devices?
A: The System Bus.
Rationale: The system bus consists of three parts: the Data Bus, Address Bus, and
Control Bus.
Q7: Which bus carries the actual data being read or written?
A: The Data Bus.
Rationale: The Data Bus is bidirectional (data can go to and from the CPU). The Address
Bus is unidirectional (addresses go from the CPU to memory).
Q8: What is a single binary digit (0 or 1) called?
A: A bit.
Rationale: "Bit" is short for Binary Digit, the smallest unit of data in computing.
Q9: How many bits are in a byte?
A: 8 bits.
Rationale: A byte is the standard unit of memory storage, capable of holding a single
character (like 'A').
Q10: How many bytes are in a Kilobyte (KB) in standard computing (binary
definition)?
A: 1,024 bytes.
Rationale: 1 KB = 2^10 bytes = 1,024. (Note: some hard drive manufacturers use
decimal, but CS courses use binary).
,Q11: What does the Program Counter (PC) register do?
A: It holds the memory address of the next instruction to be executed.
Rationale: After an instruction is fetched, the PC increments to point to the next
sequential instruction (unless a jump/branch changes it).
Q12: What does the Accumulator (ACC) register do?
A: It temporarily stores the results of arithmetic and logic operations.
Rationale: When the ALU adds two numbers, the result is usually placed in the
Accumulator.
Q13: What is the basic operational cycle of the CPU called?
A: The Fetch-Decode-Execute Cycle.
Rationale: The CPU fetches an instruction from memory, decodes it to figure out what
to do, and then executes it.
Q14: Which type of memory holds the BIOS and startup instructions even when
the computer is turned off?
A: ROM (Read-Only Memory).
Rationale: ROM is non-volatile firmware that initializes hardware during the boot
process.
Q15: Which bus transmits memory addresses to specify where data is read from or
written to?
A: The Address Bus.
Rationale: The address bus is unidirectional. The width of the address bus determines
how much memory the CPU can address (e.g., 32-bit bus can address 4GB of RAM).
Q16: Is the System Clock considered part of the hardware or software?
A: Hardware.
Rationale: The system clock is an electronic oscillator on the motherboard that sends
out a continuous pulse (clock cycle) to synchronize all computer operations.
, Q17: What happens during the "Decode" phase of the CPU cycle?
A: The Control Unit interprets the fetched instruction to determine which operation to
perform.
Rationale: Decoding translates the binary machine code into control signals for the ALU
and other components.
Q18: Which is faster: Cache memory or RAM?
A: Cache memory.
Rationale: Cache (often SRAM) is physically closer to the CPU core and faster than main
memory (DRAM), though it is much smaller and more expensive.
Q19: What is an I/O device?
A: Input/Output device (e.g., keyboard, mouse, monitor, printer).
Rationale: I/O devices allow the user or external systems to interact with the computer's
CPU and memory.
Q20: Which component is considered the "brain" of the computer, containing the
ALU and Control Unit?
A: The CPU (Central Processing Unit) or Microprocessor.
Rationale: The CPU integrates all the control and arithmetic logic into a single chip.
Section 2: Number Systems – Binary & Decimal (Questions 21–40)
Q21: Convert the binary number 1010₂ to decimal.
A: 10.
Rationale: (1×2³) + (0×2²) + (1×2¹) + (0×2⁰) = 8 + 0 + 2 + 0 = 10.
Q22: Convert the decimal number 13₁₀ to binary.
A: 1101₂.
Organization and Number Systems
and Logic Gates | Score 20/20
EXAM
Section 1: Computer Organization (Questions 1–20)
Q1: What does CPU stand for?
A: Central Processing Unit.
Rationale: It is the primary component of a computer that interprets and executes
instructions.
Q2: Which component of the CPU is responsible for performing arithmetic (like
addition) and logical comparisons (like AND/OR)?
A: ALU (Arithmetic Logic Unit).
Rationale: The ALU handles all mathematical computations and bitwise logical
operations. The Control Unit directs traffic, but the ALU does the actual math.
Q3: What is the function of the Control Unit?
A: It directs the flow of data and instructions within the CPU and between other
components.
Rationale: The Control Unit decodes instructions and generates control signals to tell
the ALU, memory, and I/O devices what to do.
Q4: Which type of memory is volatile, meaning it loses its data when the computer
powers off?
A: RAM (Random Access Memory).
Rationale: RAM requires constant power to hold data. ROM (Read-Only Memory) is
non-volatile and retains data without power.
,Q5: What are the small, ultra-fast memory locations located directly inside the CPU
called?
A: Registers.
Rationale: Registers are the fastest memory in the hierarchy. Examples include the
Program Counter (PC) and the Accumulator (ACC).
Q6: What is the name of the "highway" system that transfers data between the
CPU, memory, and I/O devices?
A: The System Bus.
Rationale: The system bus consists of three parts: the Data Bus, Address Bus, and
Control Bus.
Q7: Which bus carries the actual data being read or written?
A: The Data Bus.
Rationale: The Data Bus is bidirectional (data can go to and from the CPU). The Address
Bus is unidirectional (addresses go from the CPU to memory).
Q8: What is a single binary digit (0 or 1) called?
A: A bit.
Rationale: "Bit" is short for Binary Digit, the smallest unit of data in computing.
Q9: How many bits are in a byte?
A: 8 bits.
Rationale: A byte is the standard unit of memory storage, capable of holding a single
character (like 'A').
Q10: How many bytes are in a Kilobyte (KB) in standard computing (binary
definition)?
A: 1,024 bytes.
Rationale: 1 KB = 2^10 bytes = 1,024. (Note: some hard drive manufacturers use
decimal, but CS courses use binary).
,Q11: What does the Program Counter (PC) register do?
A: It holds the memory address of the next instruction to be executed.
Rationale: After an instruction is fetched, the PC increments to point to the next
sequential instruction (unless a jump/branch changes it).
Q12: What does the Accumulator (ACC) register do?
A: It temporarily stores the results of arithmetic and logic operations.
Rationale: When the ALU adds two numbers, the result is usually placed in the
Accumulator.
Q13: What is the basic operational cycle of the CPU called?
A: The Fetch-Decode-Execute Cycle.
Rationale: The CPU fetches an instruction from memory, decodes it to figure out what
to do, and then executes it.
Q14: Which type of memory holds the BIOS and startup instructions even when
the computer is turned off?
A: ROM (Read-Only Memory).
Rationale: ROM is non-volatile firmware that initializes hardware during the boot
process.
Q15: Which bus transmits memory addresses to specify where data is read from or
written to?
A: The Address Bus.
Rationale: The address bus is unidirectional. The width of the address bus determines
how much memory the CPU can address (e.g., 32-bit bus can address 4GB of RAM).
Q16: Is the System Clock considered part of the hardware or software?
A: Hardware.
Rationale: The system clock is an electronic oscillator on the motherboard that sends
out a continuous pulse (clock cycle) to synchronize all computer operations.
, Q17: What happens during the "Decode" phase of the CPU cycle?
A: The Control Unit interprets the fetched instruction to determine which operation to
perform.
Rationale: Decoding translates the binary machine code into control signals for the ALU
and other components.
Q18: Which is faster: Cache memory or RAM?
A: Cache memory.
Rationale: Cache (often SRAM) is physically closer to the CPU core and faster than main
memory (DRAM), though it is much smaller and more expensive.
Q19: What is an I/O device?
A: Input/Output device (e.g., keyboard, mouse, monitor, printer).
Rationale: I/O devices allow the user or external systems to interact with the computer's
CPU and memory.
Q20: Which component is considered the "brain" of the computer, containing the
ALU and Control Unit?
A: The CPU (Central Processing Unit) or Microprocessor.
Rationale: The CPU integrates all the control and arithmetic logic into a single chip.
Section 2: Number Systems – Binary & Decimal (Questions 21–40)
Q21: Convert the binary number 1010₂ to decimal.
A: 10.
Rationale: (1×2³) + (0×2²) + (1×2¹) + (0×2⁰) = 8 + 0 + 2 + 0 = 10.
Q22: Convert the decimal number 13₁₀ to binary.
A: 1101₂.
