AP Computer Science Principles
Vocabulary Exam Questions With Correct
Answers
Algorithm - CORRECT ANSWER✔✔-At its core, an algorithm is really just
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a generalized, conceptual solution to a problem that can later be
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implemented in some real-world form like a computer program.
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Application Program Interface - CORRECT ANSWER✔✔-Application
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program interface (API) is a set of routines, protocols, and tools for
| | | | | | | | | | | |
constructing software applications. An API specifies how software
| | | | | | | |
components should interact. In addition, APIs are used when
| | | | | | | | |
programming graphical user interface (GUI) components.
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Binary - CORRECT ANSWER✔✔-A numeric system of base 2 that only
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uses combinations of the digits zero and one; this is used in one of the
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lowest levels of abstraction. Computers operate in binary, as they store
| | | | | | | | | | |
data and perform calculations using only zeros and ones. While a single
| | | | | | | | | | | |
binary digit can be used to represent True (1) or False (0) in boolean
| | | | | | | | | | | | | |
logic, multiple binary digits can be used in conjunction to store large
| | | | | | | | | | | |
numbers and perform complex functions. Computers translate between
| | | | | | | |
binary and what you actually work with such as numbers and text.
| | | | | | | | | | |
,Binary Search - CORRECT ANSWER✔✔-A search algorithm that locates
| | | | | | | | |
the position of a target value within a sorted array by repeatedly
| | | | | | | | | | | |
dividing the search interval in half; can only be used when the list is
| | | | | | | | | | | | | |
sorted. Because of its divide-and-conquer approach, the amount of
| | | | | | | | |
work required to find an item grows much more slowly with Binary
| | | | | | | | | | | |
Search than with Sequential Search. In fact, with this logarithmic
| | | | | | | | | |
behavior
Boolean Function* - CORRECT ANSWER✔✔-Any function based on the
| | | | | | | | |
operations AND, OR, and NOT, and whose elements are from the
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domain of Boolean algebra. A function whose arguments, as well as the
| | | | | | | | | | | |
function itself, assume values from a two-element set (usually {0,1})
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Central Processing Unit - CORRECT ANSWER✔✔-CPU, or processor, is
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the brains of the computer where most calculations take place. Contains
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the circuitry necessary to interpret and execute program instructions.
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Computational Artifact - CORRECT ANSWER✔✔-Something created by a | | | | | | |
human using a computer and can be, but is not limited to, a program,
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an image, an audio, a video, a presentation, or web page file
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Cryptography - CORRECT ANSWER✔✔-The science of coding and | | | | | | | |
decoding messages in order to keep them secure. Coding takes place
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using a key that ideally is known only by the sender and intended
| | | | | | | | | | | | |
recipient of the message. | | |
,Floating Point Numbers - CORRECT ANSWER✔✔-As the name implies,
| | | | | | | | |
floating point numbers are numbers that contain floating decimal
| | | | | | | | |
points. Examples include, the numbers 5.5, 0.001, and -2,345.6789.
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Numbers without decimal places are called integers. Computers
| | | | | | | |
recognize real numbers that contain fractions as floating point numbers.
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Hexadecimal - CORRECT ANSWER✔✔-Hexadecimal describes a base-16 | | | | | | |
number system. That is, it describes a numbering system containing 16
| | | | | | | | | | |
sequential numbers as base units (including 0) before adding a new
| | | | | | | | | | |
position for the next number. The hexadecimal numbers are 0-9 and
| | | | | | | | | | |
then use the letters A-F. Used to represent digital data because it utilizes
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fewer digits than binary.
| | | |
Integers - CORRECT ANSWER✔✔-An integer is a whole number (not a
| | | | | | | | | | |
fraction) that can be positive, negative, or zero. In computer science, an
| | | | | | | | | | | |
integer is a datum of integral data type, a data type that represents
| | | | | | | | | | | | |
some finite subset of the mathematical integers. Integral data types may
| | | | | | | | | |
|be of different sizes and may or may not be allowed to contain negative
| | | | | | | | | | | | | |
values.
Iterations - CORRECT ANSWER✔✔-Iteration is the repetition of part of
| | | | | | | | | |
an algorithm until a condition is met or for a specified number of times.
| | | | | | | | | | | | | |
This is often called a 'loop'. Recursive functions repeatedly execute
| | | | | | | | | |
themselves as part of their operation. Upon completing all instructions
| | | | | | | | | |
and resetting to the first one iteration has been completed.
| | | | | | | | |
, Libraries - CORRECT ANSWER✔✔-In computer science, a library is a
| | | | | | | | | |
collection of non-volatile resources that a program can use often to
| | | | | | | | | | |
develop software. Libraries are particularly useful for storing frequently
| | | | | | | | |
used routines because you do not need to explicitly link them to every
| | | | | | | | | | | | |
program that uses them. The linker automatically looks in libraries for
| | | | | | | | | | |
routines that it does not find elsewhere. Resources which may be found
| | | | | | | | | | | |
in libraries include data, documentation, message templates, pre-
| | | | | | |
written code, classes, or values.
| | | |
Linear/Sequential Search - CORRECT ANSWER✔✔-A process that checks | | | | | | |
|every element in the list sequentially until the desired element is found
| | | | | | | | | | | |
or all elements have been searched. Can be used in any type of list. Has
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
linear performance.
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Lossless Data Compression - CORRECT ANSWER✔✔-With lossless
| | | | | | |
compression, every single bit of data that was originally in the file
| | | | | | | | | | | |
remains after the file is uncompressed. All of the information is
| | | | | | | | | | |
completely restored. This is generally the technique of choice for text or
| | | | | | | | | | | |
spreadsheet files, where the loss of words or financial data could pose a
| | | | | | | | | | | | |
problem. PNG is an image format that provides lossless compression.
| | | | | | | | |
Lossy Data Compression - CORRECT ANSWER✔✔-Lossy compression
| | | | | | |
reduces a file by permanently eliminating certain information, especially
| | | | | | | |
redundant information. When the file is uncompressed, only a part of
| | | | | | | | | | | |
the original information is still there (although the user may not notice
| | | | | | | | | | | |
Vocabulary Exam Questions With Correct
Answers
Algorithm - CORRECT ANSWER✔✔-At its core, an algorithm is really just
| | | | | | | | | | |
a generalized, conceptual solution to a problem that can later be
| | | | | | | | | | |
implemented in some real-world form like a computer program.
| | | | | | | |
Application Program Interface - CORRECT ANSWER✔✔-Application
| | | | | |
program interface (API) is a set of routines, protocols, and tools for
| | | | | | | | | | | |
constructing software applications. An API specifies how software
| | | | | | | |
components should interact. In addition, APIs are used when
| | | | | | | | |
programming graphical user interface (GUI) components.
| | | | |
Binary - CORRECT ANSWER✔✔-A numeric system of base 2 that only
| | | | | | | | | | |
uses combinations of the digits zero and one; this is used in one of the
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
lowest levels of abstraction. Computers operate in binary, as they store
| | | | | | | | | | |
data and perform calculations using only zeros and ones. While a single
| | | | | | | | | | | |
binary digit can be used to represent True (1) or False (0) in boolean
| | | | | | | | | | | | | |
logic, multiple binary digits can be used in conjunction to store large
| | | | | | | | | | | |
numbers and perform complex functions. Computers translate between
| | | | | | | |
binary and what you actually work with such as numbers and text.
| | | | | | | | | | |
,Binary Search - CORRECT ANSWER✔✔-A search algorithm that locates
| | | | | | | | |
the position of a target value within a sorted array by repeatedly
| | | | | | | | | | | |
dividing the search interval in half; can only be used when the list is
| | | | | | | | | | | | | |
sorted. Because of its divide-and-conquer approach, the amount of
| | | | | | | | |
work required to find an item grows much more slowly with Binary
| | | | | | | | | | | |
Search than with Sequential Search. In fact, with this logarithmic
| | | | | | | | | |
behavior
Boolean Function* - CORRECT ANSWER✔✔-Any function based on the
| | | | | | | | |
operations AND, OR, and NOT, and whose elements are from the
| | | | | | | | | | |
domain of Boolean algebra. A function whose arguments, as well as the
| | | | | | | | | | | |
function itself, assume values from a two-element set (usually {0,1})
| | | | | | | | |
Central Processing Unit - CORRECT ANSWER✔✔-CPU, or processor, is
| | | | | | | | |
the brains of the computer where most calculations take place. Contains
| | | | | | | | | |
the circuitry necessary to interpret and execute program instructions.
| | | | | | | | |
Computational Artifact - CORRECT ANSWER✔✔-Something created by a | | | | | | |
human using a computer and can be, but is not limited to, a program,
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
an image, an audio, a video, a presentation, or web page file
| | | | | | | | | | |
Cryptography - CORRECT ANSWER✔✔-The science of coding and | | | | | | | |
decoding messages in order to keep them secure. Coding takes place
| | | | | | | | | | |
using a key that ideally is known only by the sender and intended
| | | | | | | | | | | | |
recipient of the message. | | |
,Floating Point Numbers - CORRECT ANSWER✔✔-As the name implies,
| | | | | | | | |
floating point numbers are numbers that contain floating decimal
| | | | | | | | |
points. Examples include, the numbers 5.5, 0.001, and -2,345.6789.
| | | | | | | | |
Numbers without decimal places are called integers. Computers
| | | | | | | |
recognize real numbers that contain fractions as floating point numbers.
| | | | | | | | |
Hexadecimal - CORRECT ANSWER✔✔-Hexadecimal describes a base-16 | | | | | | |
number system. That is, it describes a numbering system containing 16
| | | | | | | | | | |
sequential numbers as base units (including 0) before adding a new
| | | | | | | | | | |
position for the next number. The hexadecimal numbers are 0-9 and
| | | | | | | | | | |
then use the letters A-F. Used to represent digital data because it utilizes
| | | | | | | | | | | |
fewer digits than binary.
| | | |
Integers - CORRECT ANSWER✔✔-An integer is a whole number (not a
| | | | | | | | | | |
fraction) that can be positive, negative, or zero. In computer science, an
| | | | | | | | | | | |
integer is a datum of integral data type, a data type that represents
| | | | | | | | | | | | |
some finite subset of the mathematical integers. Integral data types may
| | | | | | | | | |
|be of different sizes and may or may not be allowed to contain negative
| | | | | | | | | | | | | |
values.
Iterations - CORRECT ANSWER✔✔-Iteration is the repetition of part of
| | | | | | | | | |
an algorithm until a condition is met or for a specified number of times.
| | | | | | | | | | | | | |
This is often called a 'loop'. Recursive functions repeatedly execute
| | | | | | | | | |
themselves as part of their operation. Upon completing all instructions
| | | | | | | | | |
and resetting to the first one iteration has been completed.
| | | | | | | | |
, Libraries - CORRECT ANSWER✔✔-In computer science, a library is a
| | | | | | | | | |
collection of non-volatile resources that a program can use often to
| | | | | | | | | | |
develop software. Libraries are particularly useful for storing frequently
| | | | | | | | |
used routines because you do not need to explicitly link them to every
| | | | | | | | | | | | |
program that uses them. The linker automatically looks in libraries for
| | | | | | | | | | |
routines that it does not find elsewhere. Resources which may be found
| | | | | | | | | | | |
in libraries include data, documentation, message templates, pre-
| | | | | | |
written code, classes, or values.
| | | |
Linear/Sequential Search - CORRECT ANSWER✔✔-A process that checks | | | | | | |
|every element in the list sequentially until the desired element is found
| | | | | | | | | | | |
or all elements have been searched. Can be used in any type of list. Has
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
linear performance.
|
Lossless Data Compression - CORRECT ANSWER✔✔-With lossless
| | | | | | |
compression, every single bit of data that was originally in the file
| | | | | | | | | | | |
remains after the file is uncompressed. All of the information is
| | | | | | | | | | |
completely restored. This is generally the technique of choice for text or
| | | | | | | | | | | |
spreadsheet files, where the loss of words or financial data could pose a
| | | | | | | | | | | | |
problem. PNG is an image format that provides lossless compression.
| | | | | | | | |
Lossy Data Compression - CORRECT ANSWER✔✔-Lossy compression
| | | | | | |
reduces a file by permanently eliminating certain information, especially
| | | | | | | |
redundant information. When the file is uncompressed, only a part of
| | | | | | | | | | | |
the original information is still there (although the user may not notice
| | | | | | | | | | | |
