RINALDO TTU ISQS 3345 EXAM 1 TEXTBOOK – STUDY GUIDE, PRACTICE
QUESTIONS & REVIEW 2026/2027
Central Processing Unit (CPU) - ✔✔part of the computer that is built to be obsessed with "what is
next?" Brain of the computer
Main Memory - ✔✔used to store information that the CPU needs fast. Main memory is nearly as fast as
the CPU, but the info stored in main memory vanishes when computer is turned off
Secondary memory - ✔✔Also used to store info, but is a lot slower than main memory. Advantage is
that it can store info even when there is no power on computer, it can still store information. Examples
are disk drives or flash memory (USB sticks and portable music players) Permanent storage, long term
Input and Output devices - ✔✔screen, keyboard, mouse, microphone, speaker, touchpad. All the ways
we interact w/ the computer
Input - ✔✔Any data or commands entered into a computer via devices like a keyboard, mouse, or
touchscreen.
Output - ✔✔Data that is processed and presented by the computer, such as displayed text, images, or
printed documents.
execute - ✔✔process of carrying out instructions from a program by the computer's CPU
sequential execution - ✔✔Perform statements one after another in the order they are encountered in
the script.
conditional execution - ✔✔check for certain conditions and then execute or skip a sequence of
statements
repeated execution - ✔✔perform some set of statement repeatedly, with some variation usually
Microprocessor - ✔✔digital device on a chip that can get instructions from memory, decode and
execute them
CPU of a computer
Operating system - ✔✔the software that supports a computer's basic functions, such as scheduling
tasks, executing applications, and controlling peripherals. Manages computer resources
Utility Program - ✔✔A type of system software designed to help maintain, analyze, or optimize
computer performance (e.g., antivirus software, disk cleanup tools).
program - ✔✔the highest prepackaged level of code.
, software - ✔✔A collection of programs and related data that enables a computer to perform specific
tasks, categorized as system software (e.g., OS) or application software (e.g., web browsers)
programmer - ✔✔A person who writes and maintains code for software applications
string literal - ✔✔A sequence of characters enclosed in quotation marks, representing a fixed value in a
program (e.g., "Hello, World!").
numeric literal - ✔✔A fixed numerical value written directly in a program (e.g., 42 or 3.14).
string - ✔✔A data type representing sequences of characters, such as words or sentences.
numeric - ✔✔A data type representing numbers, including integers and floating-point values.
compiler - ✔✔A program that translates high-level source code into machine language before
execution, creating an executable file.
garbage collection - ✔✔Releases memory that was used for a variable's value once the variable is no
longer to be used by a program.
binary - ✔✔A number system using only 0s and 1s, which computers use to process and store data.
dichotomy - ✔✔A number system using only 0s and 1s, which computers use to process and store data.
boolean - ✔✔A data type representing true/false values, used in logical operations.
machine language - ✔✔Represented in all 0s and 1s, binary code. Python and Javascript translate it to
machine language for the CPU to execute. NOT portable across diff types of hardware
assembly language - ✔✔A low-level programming language using mnemonics (short codes) instead of
binary, requiring an assembler to convert it to machine code.
interpreter - ✔✔The lowest-level programming language consisting of binary instructions that the CPU
can execute directly.
high level language - ✔✔A programming language that is human-readable and abstracted from
machine code, such as Python, Java, or C++.
source code - ✔✔contains instructions written by a programmer specifying the actions to be performed
by computer software
script - ✔✔a statement or group of statements that perform an entire operation
Random Access Memory/Main Memory (RAM) - ✔✔Temporary memory a computer uses to store
information while it is processing.
Flowchart - ✔✔A graphical representation of an algorithm using symbols to show the flow of control.
QUESTIONS & REVIEW 2026/2027
Central Processing Unit (CPU) - ✔✔part of the computer that is built to be obsessed with "what is
next?" Brain of the computer
Main Memory - ✔✔used to store information that the CPU needs fast. Main memory is nearly as fast as
the CPU, but the info stored in main memory vanishes when computer is turned off
Secondary memory - ✔✔Also used to store info, but is a lot slower than main memory. Advantage is
that it can store info even when there is no power on computer, it can still store information. Examples
are disk drives or flash memory (USB sticks and portable music players) Permanent storage, long term
Input and Output devices - ✔✔screen, keyboard, mouse, microphone, speaker, touchpad. All the ways
we interact w/ the computer
Input - ✔✔Any data or commands entered into a computer via devices like a keyboard, mouse, or
touchscreen.
Output - ✔✔Data that is processed and presented by the computer, such as displayed text, images, or
printed documents.
execute - ✔✔process of carrying out instructions from a program by the computer's CPU
sequential execution - ✔✔Perform statements one after another in the order they are encountered in
the script.
conditional execution - ✔✔check for certain conditions and then execute or skip a sequence of
statements
repeated execution - ✔✔perform some set of statement repeatedly, with some variation usually
Microprocessor - ✔✔digital device on a chip that can get instructions from memory, decode and
execute them
CPU of a computer
Operating system - ✔✔the software that supports a computer's basic functions, such as scheduling
tasks, executing applications, and controlling peripherals. Manages computer resources
Utility Program - ✔✔A type of system software designed to help maintain, analyze, or optimize
computer performance (e.g., antivirus software, disk cleanup tools).
program - ✔✔the highest prepackaged level of code.
, software - ✔✔A collection of programs and related data that enables a computer to perform specific
tasks, categorized as system software (e.g., OS) or application software (e.g., web browsers)
programmer - ✔✔A person who writes and maintains code for software applications
string literal - ✔✔A sequence of characters enclosed in quotation marks, representing a fixed value in a
program (e.g., "Hello, World!").
numeric literal - ✔✔A fixed numerical value written directly in a program (e.g., 42 or 3.14).
string - ✔✔A data type representing sequences of characters, such as words or sentences.
numeric - ✔✔A data type representing numbers, including integers and floating-point values.
compiler - ✔✔A program that translates high-level source code into machine language before
execution, creating an executable file.
garbage collection - ✔✔Releases memory that was used for a variable's value once the variable is no
longer to be used by a program.
binary - ✔✔A number system using only 0s and 1s, which computers use to process and store data.
dichotomy - ✔✔A number system using only 0s and 1s, which computers use to process and store data.
boolean - ✔✔A data type representing true/false values, used in logical operations.
machine language - ✔✔Represented in all 0s and 1s, binary code. Python and Javascript translate it to
machine language for the CPU to execute. NOT portable across diff types of hardware
assembly language - ✔✔A low-level programming language using mnemonics (short codes) instead of
binary, requiring an assembler to convert it to machine code.
interpreter - ✔✔The lowest-level programming language consisting of binary instructions that the CPU
can execute directly.
high level language - ✔✔A programming language that is human-readable and abstracted from
machine code, such as Python, Java, or C++.
source code - ✔✔contains instructions written by a programmer specifying the actions to be performed
by computer software
script - ✔✔a statement or group of statements that perform an entire operation
Random Access Memory/Main Memory (RAM) - ✔✔Temporary memory a computer uses to store
information while it is processing.
Flowchart - ✔✔A graphical representation of an algorithm using symbols to show the flow of control.
