Answer Key: Introduction to Computers

Answer Key: Introduction to Computers Worksheet

  1. The abacus, Stonehenge and the slide rule are all examples of non-electronic calculating devices
     
  2. Early computers used vacuum tubes as switches.  These switches made early computers big, hot flakey and expensive
     
  3. Modern computers use switches called transistors.  Most transistors are made of silicon.
     
  4. When many transistors are integrated onto a silicon piece of silicon, this is called an integrated circuit (technical name) or computer chip (common name)
     
  5. Input – mouse, keyboard, microphone, scanner
    Output – screen, speakers, printer
    Processor – microprocessor
    Storage – hard drive, CD/DVD drive, RAM,  ROM, Flash

     
  6. Storage drives have a rotating storage disk – hard drive (magnet disk), DVD drive (optical disk)
    Memory chips are rectangles of silicon that have no moving parts – RAM, ROM or Flash

     
  7. RAM – software
    ROM – firmware
    Flash – software or firmware