Question 1

When the processor needs an instruction or data, it searches memory in this order: L1 cache, then L2 cache, then L3 cache (if it exists), then RAM - with a greater delay in processing for each level it must search.

Accepted Answer

This is the typical memory hierarchy in a computer system. The processor checks the cache memory first because it is faster to access than RAM. If the required data is not found in cache, it goes to the next level of cache or RAM, which has a slightly longer access time.

Question 2

The ASCII coding scheme is used primarily on mainframes and high-end servers.

Accepted Answer

The ASCII coding scheme is used widely on almost all modern computing systems, including personal computers, smartphones, and tablets. It is not limited to mainframes and high-end servers.

Question 3

Most personal computers and servers use Unicode.

Accepted Answer

The answer of Most personal computers and servers use Unicode....

Question 4

The amount of RAM necessary in a computer is unrelated to the type of software used.

Accepted Answer

The amount of RAM necessary in a computer can be influenced by the type of software used. Some software, such as video editing or 3D modeling programs, require a larger amount of RAM to function effectively.

Question 5

Two types of cache are memory cache and disk cache.

Accepted Answer

This statement is true. Memory cache is a type of cache that stores data in memory, while disk cache is a type of cache that stores data on a disk.

Question 6

If a memory chip can store 100 KB, it can hold approximately 100,000 bytes.

Accepted Answer

1 KB (kilobyte) is equal to 1,000 bytes. Therefore, 100 KB is equal to 100,000 bytes.

Question 7

The processor interprets and executes a program's instructions while the program is in RAM.

Accepted Answer

This statement is true. The processor reads and executes instructions stored in RAM while a program is running.

Question 8

The combinations of 0s and 1s that represent characters are defined by patterns called a coding scheme.

Accepted Answer

This is true. Different coding schemes, such as ASCII or Unicode, define the binary patterns that represent characters.

Question 9

L2 cache is slightly faster than L1 cache but has a much smaller capacity.

Accepted Answer

L1 cache is the fastest but has the smallest capacity, while L2 cache is slightly slower but has a larger capacity than L1 cache.

Question 10

A byte is uninformative because it provides only enough different combinations of 0s and 1s to represent 8 individual characters.

Accepted Answer

A byte can represent up to 256 different combinations of 0s and 1s, which is more than enough to represent a wide range of characters and symbols.

Question 11

Saving is the process of copying items from a storage device such as a hard disk to RAM.

Accepted Answer

Saving is the process of transferring data from RAM to a storage device such as a hard disk.

Question 12

In the binary system, the digit 1 represents the electronic state of off (absence of an electronic charge).

Accepted Answer

In the binary system, the digit 1 represents the electronic state of on (presence of an electronic charge) and the digit 0 represents the electronic state of off (absence of an electronic charge).

Question 13

Dynamic RAM (DRAM) chips are faster and more reliable than any version of SRAM chips.

Accepted Answer

This statement is false. SRAM chips are faster and more reliable than DRAM chips, but they are also more expensive and consume more power. DRAM, on the other hand, is slower and less reliable, but it is cheaper and requires less power.

Question 14

Some computers use more than one processor chip.

Accepted Answer

This is true. Some computers use multiple processor chips to increase their computing power and speed. These computers are called multiprocessor or multi-core systems.

Question 15

A heat sink uses a continuous flow of fluid to transfer the heated fluid away from the processor to a radiator-type grill.

Accepted Answer

A heat sink typically uses a solid metal structure to absorb and dissipate heat from a processor, while a liquid cooling system uses fluid to transfer heat.

Question 16

The more RAM a computer has, the faster the computer will respond.

Accepted Answer

RAM, or Random Access Memory, is responsible for temporarily storing data that the computer needs to access quickly. The more RAM a computer has, the more data it can temporarily store, which can lead to faster response times.

Question 17

Some applications draw on the idle time of home users' personal computers to achieve parallel processing.

Accepted Answer

This is true. Examples of such applications include SETI@home, Folding@home, and BOINC.

Question 18

When the computer's power is turned off, volatile memory does not lose its contents.

Accepted Answer

The statement is incorrect. Volatile memory such as RAM loses its contents when the computer's power is turned off. Non-volatile memory such as ROM and hard disk drives retain their contents even when the power is off.

Question 19

Manufacturers state the size of memory chips and storage devices in terms of the number of bytes the chip or device has available for storage.

Accepted Answer

Manufacturers use bytes as a unit of measurement to indicate the size of memory chips and storage devices.

Question 20

Parallel processing divides a problem into portions so that multiple processors work on their assigned portion of the problem at the same time.

Accepted Answer

Parallel processing involves dividing a problem into portions and processing them simultaneously with multiple processors.

Quiz 4: The Components of the System Unit