©THESTAR 2024/2025 ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 11:32AM. A+
Cambridge International AS and A-Level
Computer Science (9618) Section 3: Hardware.
Exam Questions With Correct Answers 100%
Verified.
Describe the principal operation of a laser printer. - Answer✔- the drum is given an electric
charge
- the drum starts to revolve step by step
- at each step a laser beam is directed by the mirror and lens assembly to a sequence of
positions across the width of the drum
- at each position the laser is either switched off to leave the charge on the drum, or switched
on to discharge the position
- this process repeats until a full-page electrostatic image has been created
- the drum is coated with a charged toner that only sticks to positions where the drum has been
discharged
- the drum rolls over a sheet of paper which is initially given an electric charge
- the sheet of paper is discharged and then is passed through heated rollers to fuse the toner
particles and seal the image on the paper surface
- the drum is discharged before the process starts again for the next page
What is an embedded system? Advantages + Disadvantages - Answer✔- has a dedicated
function within a larger system
- still needs to contain a processor, memory, and an I/O capability
- if these are constructed on 1 chip, it is called a microcontroller
- they can take inputs and give outputs to both the system and the user if designed to do so
1
, ©THESTAR 2024/2025 ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 11:32AM. A+
- an advantage is that they are special purpose and can possibly even perform only 1 function
- but, programming is difficult since the memory space available to store a program is limited
and so the programs have to be short
- another disadvantage is that, if errors are found following installation, new chips must be
manufactured and used to replace the faulty ones
Describe the principal operation of a 3D printer. - Answer✔- a 3D design is created in a suitable
CAD package
- the design is split into layers
- the data for the first layer is transmitted to the 3D printer
- the 3D printer uses a nozzle to squirt material onto the printer bed to create a physical layer
to match the design
- this process is repeated for subsequent layers
- once the whole object has been formed, it is cured to ensure all layers have stuck together
Describe the principal operation of a microphone. - Answer✔- the microphone contains a
diaphragm and a flexible material that vibrates when hit by sound
- the vibration causes a change in electrical signal
- the microphone detects the capacitance change
- the analogue electrical signal is converted to digital by an analogue to digital converter (ADC)
Describe the principal operation of a magnetic hard disk. - Answer✔- data is stored in
concentric tracks with each consisting of a sequence of bits
- these are formatted into sectors where each contains a defined number of bytes
- the sector becomes the smallest unit of storage
- because the movement of the heads is synchronised, the same tracks on different disks can
have related data stored on them
- these are accessible by one movement of the head
- to store a file, a sufficient number of sectors need to be allocated (not necessarily next to each
other)
- as files are created, deleted, and edited, the use of the sectors becomes more fragmented,
degrading the performance of the disk
- a defragmentation program can be used to restore performance
2
Cambridge International AS and A-Level
Computer Science (9618) Section 3: Hardware.
Exam Questions With Correct Answers 100%
Verified.
Describe the principal operation of a laser printer. - Answer✔- the drum is given an electric
charge
- the drum starts to revolve step by step
- at each step a laser beam is directed by the mirror and lens assembly to a sequence of
positions across the width of the drum
- at each position the laser is either switched off to leave the charge on the drum, or switched
on to discharge the position
- this process repeats until a full-page electrostatic image has been created
- the drum is coated with a charged toner that only sticks to positions where the drum has been
discharged
- the drum rolls over a sheet of paper which is initially given an electric charge
- the sheet of paper is discharged and then is passed through heated rollers to fuse the toner
particles and seal the image on the paper surface
- the drum is discharged before the process starts again for the next page
What is an embedded system? Advantages + Disadvantages - Answer✔- has a dedicated
function within a larger system
- still needs to contain a processor, memory, and an I/O capability
- if these are constructed on 1 chip, it is called a microcontroller
- they can take inputs and give outputs to both the system and the user if designed to do so
1
, ©THESTAR 2024/2025 ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 11:32AM. A+
- an advantage is that they are special purpose and can possibly even perform only 1 function
- but, programming is difficult since the memory space available to store a program is limited
and so the programs have to be short
- another disadvantage is that, if errors are found following installation, new chips must be
manufactured and used to replace the faulty ones
Describe the principal operation of a 3D printer. - Answer✔- a 3D design is created in a suitable
CAD package
- the design is split into layers
- the data for the first layer is transmitted to the 3D printer
- the 3D printer uses a nozzle to squirt material onto the printer bed to create a physical layer
to match the design
- this process is repeated for subsequent layers
- once the whole object has been formed, it is cured to ensure all layers have stuck together
Describe the principal operation of a microphone. - Answer✔- the microphone contains a
diaphragm and a flexible material that vibrates when hit by sound
- the vibration causes a change in electrical signal
- the microphone detects the capacitance change
- the analogue electrical signal is converted to digital by an analogue to digital converter (ADC)
Describe the principal operation of a magnetic hard disk. - Answer✔- data is stored in
concentric tracks with each consisting of a sequence of bits
- these are formatted into sectors where each contains a defined number of bytes
- the sector becomes the smallest unit of storage
- because the movement of the heads is synchronised, the same tracks on different disks can
have related data stored on them
- these are accessible by one movement of the head
- to store a file, a sufficient number of sectors need to be allocated (not necessarily next to each
other)
- as files are created, deleted, and edited, the use of the sectors becomes more fragmented,
degrading the performance of the disk
- a defragmentation program can be used to restore performance
2
