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BTT 1O1 Computer Basics

Study Guide for The Journey Inside On-Line Lessons

http://www.intel.com/content/www/us/en/education/k12/the-journey-inside/explore-the-curriculum/intro-to-computers.html

Unit 1 Introduction to Computers

Lesson 1: History of Computers


1. One of the first calculating device was invented more than 5000 years ago.
What was it called? Find a picture.
Mechanical calculators that could add and multiply (but not subtract!) were invented in the 1600s. In 1820,
Charles Xavier Thomas de Colmar invented the arithmometer, a machine that could add, subtract, multiply
and divide. It was Charles Babbage though, in the early 1800s, who designed mechanical calculating
machines that were the true ancestor of today's computers. Ada Byron King (Countess of Lovelace) was his
programmer and today is considered the mother of computer programming.

2. What did Charles Babbage invent in the early 1800s? What was the main problem
with this invention?
The problem with Babbage's and other mechanical calculators was just thatthey were mechanical. The moving parts they relied
on were slow and subject to breakdown.

3. Who was considered the mother of programming?


Ada Byron King (Countess of Lovelace) was his programmer and today is considered the mother of computer
programming.

4. What invention made modern computers possible?

What made modern computers possible was the invention of something that could do calculations and other information
processing with no moving parts and do it very fast. That something was electronic components. With electronic components, a
fast and efficient machine such as Babbage proposed could be built with all four components essential to modern computing
Lesson 2: The Four Components of a Computer
1. List the four components of computer processing.
input, storage, processing, and output.

2. Both a toaster and a computer have physical parts you can touch such as the
keyboard and mouse. What do we call these parts?
Both a toaster and a computer have physical parts you can touch such as the keyboard and mouse. We call these parts hardware.

b) What 2 things makes a computer distinctively different than a toaster?


Only the computer has something called software that enables it to figure out what to do with the input you give it. You can't touch
software. Software gives the computer the ability to process many kinds of information. In contrast, all a toaster can process is
bread (and the occasional waffle).

3. What does software give the computer the ability to do?


Software gives the computer the ability to process many kinds of information. In contrast, all a toaster can process is bread (and
the occasional waffle).

4. What does the microprocessor do? What makes it so versatile?


It helps process information
5. Do Activity 1: Which Does What?

Lesson 3: How Computers Get Input


1. Computers are information processing machines. That means that you can use
them to access and change information. List 3 types of information your computer
can work with.
Computers are information processing machines. That means that you can use them to access and change information like
numbers, text, pictures, and even music. Think of what you can do to modify a single sentence. Using the computer, it's easy to
add, delete, or rearrange words. To change a sentence with your computer, though, first you have to get the sentence into your
computer.

2. List 3 ways computers receive input.

Input devices are used to put information in your computer. You type a sentence on your keyboard and it goes into the computer.
You speak into a microphone and your computer records your words. You make funny faces at the video camera and your
computer records every one of them. Even the mouse you are about to click to move on to the next section is an input device. So,
when you are ready, click it!

Lesson 4: How Computers Store Information


1. Computers use two types of memory. Name them and describe their basic differences.

Computers store all kinds of information. They store the information you give
them, instructions from the software you're using, plus the instructions they
need to operate. To store all this, they use two basic kinds of storage.
Temporary storage is for information actively being used for
processing. Random Access Memory (RAM) accepts new information for
temporary storage. Long-term storage is for information computers use again
and again, such as the instructions the computer prepares itself with every
time you turn it on. These instructions are stored in read only memory (ROM),
a type of memory that does not accept new information.

2. Which type of memory is actively used for .


RAM
Do Activity 1: Computers Need to Remember, Too

3. What are two other devices used to store data to be used at another time?

Hard drive, usb key


Do Activity 2: Different Kinds of Storage Media

Lesson 5: How Computers Process Information


1. What is a microprocessor?

Something that processes informatin


2. How are they different than an embedded processor?

They are different because you cant replace them usually found in phones and tablets, and other small electronic
devices, such as laptops, this is not good because you cant replace it and upgrad
Lesson 6: How Computers Deliver Information
1. Name 3 types of output.

Monitor, printer, speakers

Lesson 7: Which is Smarter?


1. Which is smarter, a computer or the human brain? Using the 4 criteria
for smart used in this section, describe which is smarter. What is
your opinion? Give 3 reasons to make up your opinion.
2. First, let's look at how brains and computers work. A brain uses special cells called
neurons that work together to process information and respond with an action. A computer
uses a collection of circuits called a microprocessor. One is living cells, the other is
electronic circuits. So there's a big difference there.

3. Now let's consider which is smarter. The answer depends on how you define smart. If
smart is speed, a computer wins. A person takes a few seconds to add two 3-digit numbers
(245+987). A computer can complete several million long-division problems (387243) in
a single second. A computer is also tireless. The electronic circuits don't wear out. A
human doing long division all day would want lots of breaksand a good night's sleep.

4. What if smart is having a good memory? In that case, a computer wins too. A computer
can store an entire library of books in its memory and recall them without a single
mistake. Now consider a person. Have you ever tried just to memorize a long poem? It's
an enormous task for a person to memorize a book.

5. What if being smart is being able to make well-reasoned decisions? Here a person wins by
a huge margin. Computers can only calculate and sort information based on the software
we design for them. How good their choices are depend on how good the software is.
Compare this to a person. Humans don't need software. We can sort and calculate facts
using our knowledge and experience. We also can make judgments and decisions based on
whatever facts we're confronted withnot just the facts a computer has been programmed
to recognize. In this way, we're a lot smarter than computers.

6. What if you define smart as the ability to think original thoughts? Here again, humans
have an enormous advantage. Humans think original thoughts every day. The evidence of
these thoughts is in the inventions, art and books all around us. The computer is one such
invention. Are computers capable of original thought? So far, they're not. Artificial
intelligence is a field of science devoted to developing devices that someday may be able
to reason and solve problems. It's important to remember though that no matter how
"intelligent" we make computers, they will only be as smart as the software we humans
create for them.

Vocabulary
artificial intelligence electronic
embedded processor information processing,
integrated circuit microprocessor
RAM removable media
ROM

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