EECS 1520 HISTORY OF COMPUTING
EXAM QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS
GRADED A+ 2025/2026
Slide Rule - ANS A slide rule is a mechanical analog computer for complex calculations, using
logarithmic scales on sliding rulers to perform multiplication, division, roots, and trig functions
by combining Gunter's Scales.
Slide Rule invented by, year and century - ANS William Oughtred in the 1620s(17th century
AD)
what is a computer - ANS Computers are programmable machines that do things for us
Difference Engine when - ANS 19th century AD(1820)
Difference Engine who - ANS charles babbage
what is abacus - ANS a manual calculating tool with beads on rods used for arithmetic
(addition, subtraction, multiplication, division) for centuries before electronic calculators
abacus when - ANS 3,000 BC
abacus where - ANS babylonia
1 @COPYRIGHT 2025/2026 ALLRIGHTS RESERVED.
, Very first computing device. - ANS "finger-powered" calculator
The first known mechanical device that used manual input (like fingers or a stylus) to perform
calculations was - ANS abacus
Antikythera mechanism when - ANS 2nd century BC
Antikythera mechanism where and what - ANS an ancient Greek, hand-powered analog
computer
Clock when - ANS 12th century AD
Adding Machine when - ANS 17th century AD
The very first mechanical adding machine - ANS the Pascaline
Adding Machine by who - ANS French mathematician-philosopher Blaise Pascal(to help his
tax-collecting father with tedious calculations, featuring gears and dials for addition and
subtraction with an innovative automatic carry mechanism)
what is Jacquard Loom - ANS Used punch cards to define complex patterns woven into
textiles
Jacquard Loom when was it invented - ANS 1801(Joseph Marie Jacquard)
what are Punched Cards - ANS A punched card or punch card is a piece of stiff paper with
holes, where presence or absence of holes in pre-defined positions to dictate the design of
cloth.
by who and when punch cards were made - ANS Herman Hollerith in the late 1880s
2 @COPYRIGHT 2025/2026 ALLRIGHTS RESERVED.
EXAM QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS
GRADED A+ 2025/2026
Slide Rule - ANS A slide rule is a mechanical analog computer for complex calculations, using
logarithmic scales on sliding rulers to perform multiplication, division, roots, and trig functions
by combining Gunter's Scales.
Slide Rule invented by, year and century - ANS William Oughtred in the 1620s(17th century
AD)
what is a computer - ANS Computers are programmable machines that do things for us
Difference Engine when - ANS 19th century AD(1820)
Difference Engine who - ANS charles babbage
what is abacus - ANS a manual calculating tool with beads on rods used for arithmetic
(addition, subtraction, multiplication, division) for centuries before electronic calculators
abacus when - ANS 3,000 BC
abacus where - ANS babylonia
1 @COPYRIGHT 2025/2026 ALLRIGHTS RESERVED.
, Very first computing device. - ANS "finger-powered" calculator
The first known mechanical device that used manual input (like fingers or a stylus) to perform
calculations was - ANS abacus
Antikythera mechanism when - ANS 2nd century BC
Antikythera mechanism where and what - ANS an ancient Greek, hand-powered analog
computer
Clock when - ANS 12th century AD
Adding Machine when - ANS 17th century AD
The very first mechanical adding machine - ANS the Pascaline
Adding Machine by who - ANS French mathematician-philosopher Blaise Pascal(to help his
tax-collecting father with tedious calculations, featuring gears and dials for addition and
subtraction with an innovative automatic carry mechanism)
what is Jacquard Loom - ANS Used punch cards to define complex patterns woven into
textiles
Jacquard Loom when was it invented - ANS 1801(Joseph Marie Jacquard)
what are Punched Cards - ANS A punched card or punch card is a piece of stiff paper with
holes, where presence or absence of holes in pre-defined positions to dictate the design of
cloth.
by who and when punch cards were made - ANS Herman Hollerith in the late 1880s
2 @COPYRIGHT 2025/2026 ALLRIGHTS RESERVED.
