CMPSC 200 Midterm Questions with
complete solution
computer - correct answer ✔a programmable electronic device that can
store, retrieve, and process data
GIGO - correct answer ✔garbage in, garbage out
CPU - correct answer ✔central processing unit
2 components of CPU - correct answer ✔ALU: Arithmetic and Logic
Control Unit: fetches next command
volatile memory - correct answer ✔fast, temporary storage (RAM, DRAM)
non-volatile memory - correct answer ✔slower, permanent storage (ROM,
CD)
program - correct answer ✔set of instructions to perform specific tasks
algorithm - correct answer ✔set of steps for doing something
operating system (OS) - correct answer ✔allocated computer resources
software - correct answer ✔consists of the OS and other programs used by
the computer
,high-level language - correct answer ✔easy to understand, hard for
computers
low-level language - correct answer ✔hard to understand, better for
computers
machine language - correct answer ✔binary digits (1s, 0s) good for
computers
compiled languages - correct answer ✔instructions are converted to machine
instructions prior to run time then saved as a file which can be run (C++)
interpreted languages - correct answer ✔instructions are saved in the same
format as they were written and converted to machine instructions at run time,
easier to develop (MATLAB)
MATLAB - correct answer ✔matrix laboratory
GUI - correct answer ✔graphical user interface
% - correct answer ✔single line comments
%{
%} - correct answer ✔block comments
clc - correct answer ✔clears screen
clear - correct answer ✔deletes variables
, .*,./ (not needed for +,-) - correct answer ✔element operations for matrices [ ]
; - correct answer ✔no result is printed on the screen
Arrays - correct answer ✔matrices (one line or several)
commas can separate terms
semicolons separate rows
a:b:c - correct answer ✔row of regularly spaced sets of numbers (if no 'b',
then spacing is 1)
A(i,j) - correct answer ✔ith row and jth column
abs(x) - correct answer ✔absolute value
sqrt(x) - correct answer ✔square root
nthroot(x,n) - correct answer ✔nth root of x
sign(x) - correct answer ✔sign (signum) function tells whether a function is
greater than, equal to or less than 0
1 - correct answer ✔positive, true
0 - correct answer ✔zero, false
complete solution
computer - correct answer ✔a programmable electronic device that can
store, retrieve, and process data
GIGO - correct answer ✔garbage in, garbage out
CPU - correct answer ✔central processing unit
2 components of CPU - correct answer ✔ALU: Arithmetic and Logic
Control Unit: fetches next command
volatile memory - correct answer ✔fast, temporary storage (RAM, DRAM)
non-volatile memory - correct answer ✔slower, permanent storage (ROM,
CD)
program - correct answer ✔set of instructions to perform specific tasks
algorithm - correct answer ✔set of steps for doing something
operating system (OS) - correct answer ✔allocated computer resources
software - correct answer ✔consists of the OS and other programs used by
the computer
,high-level language - correct answer ✔easy to understand, hard for
computers
low-level language - correct answer ✔hard to understand, better for
computers
machine language - correct answer ✔binary digits (1s, 0s) good for
computers
compiled languages - correct answer ✔instructions are converted to machine
instructions prior to run time then saved as a file which can be run (C++)
interpreted languages - correct answer ✔instructions are saved in the same
format as they were written and converted to machine instructions at run time,
easier to develop (MATLAB)
MATLAB - correct answer ✔matrix laboratory
GUI - correct answer ✔graphical user interface
% - correct answer ✔single line comments
%{
%} - correct answer ✔block comments
clc - correct answer ✔clears screen
clear - correct answer ✔deletes variables
, .*,./ (not needed for +,-) - correct answer ✔element operations for matrices [ ]
; - correct answer ✔no result is printed on the screen
Arrays - correct answer ✔matrices (one line or several)
commas can separate terms
semicolons separate rows
a:b:c - correct answer ✔row of regularly spaced sets of numbers (if no 'b',
then spacing is 1)
A(i,j) - correct answer ✔ith row and jth column
abs(x) - correct answer ✔absolute value
sqrt(x) - correct answer ✔square root
nthroot(x,n) - correct answer ✔nth root of x
sign(x) - correct answer ✔sign (signum) function tells whether a function is
greater than, equal to or less than 0
1 - correct answer ✔positive, true
0 - correct answer ✔zero, false
