UMBC IS 310 EXAM 1 COMPLETE STUDY
GUIDE (QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS)
EXPERT GRADED A+
1. Computationally Infeasible - ANSWER When a computer algorithm is so
complicated that it would take too long to run in a reasonable time.
2. Computer Organization - ANSWER - Addresses control signals (how the
computer is controlled), signaling methods, and memory types. • How does a
computer work physically?
3. ENIAC (1946) - ANSWER • The first all-electric, general-purpose digital
computer. • Designed to calculate ballistic trajectories during World War 2
4. Transistor (1948) - ANSWER A solid-state version of a switch that can be
opened or closed by electrical signals.
• Considerably more reliable than vacuum tubes.
5. Integrated Circuit (Microchip) - ANSWER Allowed the placement of
multiple transistors on a single (usually silicon) chip. • Invented by Robert
Noyce, who co-founded Intel.
6. VLSI (Very Large-Scale Integration) - ANSWER Over time the number of
transistors that could be placed on a chip increased dramatically. • Due to
better fabrication technology.
7. Moore's Law - ANSWER The density of silicon chips doubles every 18
months. • Has held for 50 years
,8. Rock's Law - ANSWER The cost of capital equipment to build
semiconductors will double every four years.
9. Semantic Gap - ANSWER The difference between the programs you run on
a computer and the actual physical hardware executing those programs.
10.Level 6 - ANSWER The applications you use on a computer.
11.Level 5 - ANSWER The programming languages used to create the
programs in Level 6.
12.Level 4 - ANSWER When your code is compiled (like Java) into something
that can be run by the operating system.
13.Level 3 - ANSWER The operating system
14.Level 2 - ANSWER The machine language that the operating system uses
to communicate with the hardware.
15.Level 1 - ANSWER Conducts the transmission of data between hardware
components.
16.Level 0 - ANSWER The physical, electronic hardware
17.Cloud Computing - ANSWER Any type of virtual computing platform
provided over the Internet that offers a set of shared resources, such as
storage, networking, applications, and various other processes.
,18.Service-Level Agreement (SLA) - ANSWER Act as warranties and provide
penalties if certain parameters of system performance and availability are
not met
19.Computer Architecture - ANSWER Focuses on the structure and behavior
of the computer system and refers to the logical and abstract aspects of
system implementation as seen by the programmer. • How does a computer
work logically?
20.Instruction Set Architecture (ISA) - ANSWER An agreed-upon (a standard)
interface between all of the software that runs on a machine and the
hardware that executes it.
21.Principle of Equivalence - ANSWER Any task done by software can also be
done by hardware, and any operation performed directly by hardware can be
done by software.
22.Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) - ANSWER
Focuses on electrical and computer engineering.
23.International Telecommunications Union (ITU) - ANSWER Focuses on
standards for telephony and other data communication systems.
24.American National Standards Institute (ANSI) - ANSWER Sets certain
computer standards specific to the United States.
25.International Organization for Standardization (ISO) - ANSWER
Coordinates worldwide standard development
, 26.Jaquard Loom (1801) - ANSWER Used punched cards (a program) to
instruct a machine to weave patterns into cloth.
27.Babbage Difference Engine (1822) - ANSWER Designed to solve
polynomial functions
28.Babbage Analytical Engine (1833) - ANSWER • The first machine we
could reasonably call a computer. • Used Jaquard's concept of punched cards
to store programs.
29.Hollerith Tabulating Machine (1889) - ANSWER First used to compile
1890 Census. • Punch cards were the primary way of storing programs in
computers until the 1950s
30.Hollerith Card - ANSWER The standard card format used during this time.
IBM
31.Vacuum Tube (Valve) - ANSWER Controls the flow of electrons in
electrical systems in a similar way to how valves control the flow of water in
a plumbing system.
32.Software as a Service (SaaS) - ANSWER When you use an application that
is completely running on someone else's computer.
33.Platform as a Service (PaaS) - ANSWER When you write the application
and someone else hosts it.
34.Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS) - ANSWER The provider only provides
basic hardware and you must provide the operation system and application
software.
GUIDE (QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS)
EXPERT GRADED A+
1. Computationally Infeasible - ANSWER When a computer algorithm is so
complicated that it would take too long to run in a reasonable time.
2. Computer Organization - ANSWER - Addresses control signals (how the
computer is controlled), signaling methods, and memory types. • How does a
computer work physically?
3. ENIAC (1946) - ANSWER • The first all-electric, general-purpose digital
computer. • Designed to calculate ballistic trajectories during World War 2
4. Transistor (1948) - ANSWER A solid-state version of a switch that can be
opened or closed by electrical signals.
• Considerably more reliable than vacuum tubes.
5. Integrated Circuit (Microchip) - ANSWER Allowed the placement of
multiple transistors on a single (usually silicon) chip. • Invented by Robert
Noyce, who co-founded Intel.
6. VLSI (Very Large-Scale Integration) - ANSWER Over time the number of
transistors that could be placed on a chip increased dramatically. • Due to
better fabrication technology.
7. Moore's Law - ANSWER The density of silicon chips doubles every 18
months. • Has held for 50 years
,8. Rock's Law - ANSWER The cost of capital equipment to build
semiconductors will double every four years.
9. Semantic Gap - ANSWER The difference between the programs you run on
a computer and the actual physical hardware executing those programs.
10.Level 6 - ANSWER The applications you use on a computer.
11.Level 5 - ANSWER The programming languages used to create the
programs in Level 6.
12.Level 4 - ANSWER When your code is compiled (like Java) into something
that can be run by the operating system.
13.Level 3 - ANSWER The operating system
14.Level 2 - ANSWER The machine language that the operating system uses
to communicate with the hardware.
15.Level 1 - ANSWER Conducts the transmission of data between hardware
components.
16.Level 0 - ANSWER The physical, electronic hardware
17.Cloud Computing - ANSWER Any type of virtual computing platform
provided over the Internet that offers a set of shared resources, such as
storage, networking, applications, and various other processes.
,18.Service-Level Agreement (SLA) - ANSWER Act as warranties and provide
penalties if certain parameters of system performance and availability are
not met
19.Computer Architecture - ANSWER Focuses on the structure and behavior
of the computer system and refers to the logical and abstract aspects of
system implementation as seen by the programmer. • How does a computer
work logically?
20.Instruction Set Architecture (ISA) - ANSWER An agreed-upon (a standard)
interface between all of the software that runs on a machine and the
hardware that executes it.
21.Principle of Equivalence - ANSWER Any task done by software can also be
done by hardware, and any operation performed directly by hardware can be
done by software.
22.Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) - ANSWER
Focuses on electrical and computer engineering.
23.International Telecommunications Union (ITU) - ANSWER Focuses on
standards for telephony and other data communication systems.
24.American National Standards Institute (ANSI) - ANSWER Sets certain
computer standards specific to the United States.
25.International Organization for Standardization (ISO) - ANSWER
Coordinates worldwide standard development
, 26.Jaquard Loom (1801) - ANSWER Used punched cards (a program) to
instruct a machine to weave patterns into cloth.
27.Babbage Difference Engine (1822) - ANSWER Designed to solve
polynomial functions
28.Babbage Analytical Engine (1833) - ANSWER • The first machine we
could reasonably call a computer. • Used Jaquard's concept of punched cards
to store programs.
29.Hollerith Tabulating Machine (1889) - ANSWER First used to compile
1890 Census. • Punch cards were the primary way of storing programs in
computers until the 1950s
30.Hollerith Card - ANSWER The standard card format used during this time.
IBM
31.Vacuum Tube (Valve) - ANSWER Controls the flow of electrons in
electrical systems in a similar way to how valves control the flow of water in
a plumbing system.
32.Software as a Service (SaaS) - ANSWER When you use an application that
is completely running on someone else's computer.
33.Platform as a Service (PaaS) - ANSWER When you write the application
and someone else hosts it.
34.Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS) - ANSWER The provider only provides
basic hardware and you must provide the operation system and application
software.
