CSS NEXUS

Computer & IT · Topic 1

Hardware and software

Parts of a computer, memory, storage units and kinds of software.

Explanation 347 MCQs Free timed quizzes
Computer & IT

Learn first

Explanation

Learn the parts of a computer, the difference between kinds of memory, and the kinds of software.

History and parts

  • Charles Babbage is called the father of the computer (he designed the Analytical Engine); Ada Lovelace is called the first programmer.
  • The CPU is the "brain" of the computer; it has the arithmetic logic unit (ALU), the control unit (CU) and registers.
  • Input devices: keyboard, mouse, scanner, microphone. Output devices: monitor, printer, speakers.
  • Generations of computers: vacuum tubes, transistors, integrated circuits, microprocessors, and artificial intelligence.

Memory and storage

  • RAM is volatile: it loses its contents when the power goes off. ROM is non-volatile and holds start-up instructions.
  • Cache memory is the fastest memory and sits close to the CPU.
  • 1 byte = 8 bits; 1 kilobyte = 1,024 bytes; then megabyte, gigabyte, terabyte.
  • Hard disks (HDD) store data on spinning platters; solid-state drives (SSD) use flash memory and are faster.

Software

  • System software runs the computer (operating systems, drivers); application software does the user's tasks (word processors, browsers).
  • Firmware, such as the BIOS, is software stored permanently on hardware.
  • A compiler translates a whole program at once; an interpreter translates and runs it line by line.
  • Open-source software lets anyone read and change its source code.

Practise

Hardware and software MCQs

Try each question, then open the answer. MCQs 251–300 of 347.

251.What is "data compression"?

  1. A. Deleting files permanently
  2. B. Encrypting files with a key
  3. C. Making files larger for safety
  4. D. Making files smaller to save space
Show answer

Answer: D. Making files smaller to save space

ZIP files are compressed.

252.Compression that loses some detail, as in JPEG and MP3, is called what?

  1. A. Full compression
  2. B. Lossless compression
  3. C. Lossy compression
  4. D. Zero compression
Show answer

Answer: C. Lossy compression

ZIP and PNG use lossless compression.

253.Compression that keeps every bit of the original data is called what?

  1. A. Lossy compression
  2. B. Lossless compression
  3. C. Partial compression
  4. D. Visual compression
Show answer

Answer: B. Lossless compression

It is used for text and programs.

254.Which image format supports transparent backgrounds and lossless quality?

  1. A. GIF only
  2. B. BMP
  3. C. PNG
  4. D. JPEG
Show answer

Answer: C. PNG

GIF also supports simple animation.

255.Which image format is best known for short animations?

  1. A. JPEG
  2. B. GIF
  3. C. TIFF
  4. D. PNG
Show answer

Answer: B. GIF

It supports up to 256 colours.

256.Which file format stores text with no formatting?

  1. A. RTF
  2. B. PDF
  3. C. TXT
  4. D. DOCX
Show answer

Answer: C. TXT

Notepad saves .txt files.

257.Which file format is used for web pages?

  1. A. XLSX
  2. B. MP3
  3. C. HTML
  4. D. EXE
Show answer

Answer: C. HTML

Browsers read HTML files.

258.Which audio format is uncompressed and often large?

  1. A. MP3
  2. B. WAV
  3. C. OGG
  4. D. AAC
Show answer

Answer: B. WAV

MP3 files are much smaller.

259.Which video format is commonly used on the web and phones?

  1. A. PNG
  2. B. TXT
  3. C. WAV
  4. D. MP4
Show answer

Answer: D. MP4

It usually uses H.264 or H.265 compression.

260.What is "resolution" in a digital photo?

  1. A. The colour of the image
  2. B. The camera's battery life
  3. C. The file name of the image
  4. D. The number of pixels in the image
Show answer

Answer: D. The number of pixels in the image

More pixels can show more detail.

261.What does "megapixel" mean for a camera?

  1. A. One hundred pixels
  2. B. One billion pixels
  3. C. One thousand pixels
  4. D. One million pixels
Show answer

Answer: D. One million pixels

A 12 MP camera captures 12 million pixels.

262.What is "RAM" mainly used for?

  1. A. Printing documents
  2. B. Cooling the processor
  3. C. Holding programs and data in use
  4. D. Storing files permanently
Show answer

Answer: C. Holding programs and data in use

More RAM lets more programs run smoothly.

263.Why does a computer slow down when RAM is full?

  1. A. The screen becomes dimmer
  2. B. The keyboard stops working
  3. C. It must use slower disk space as memory
  4. D. The internet disconnects
Show answer

Answer: C. It must use slower disk space as memory

This is virtual memory.

264.What does "multi-threading" let a processor do?

  1. A. Use several keyboards
  2. B. Run several tasks from one program at once
  3. C. Print several pages at once
  4. D. Connect several monitors
Show answer

Answer: B. Run several tasks from one program at once

Modern CPUs run many threads.

265.What is the "clock speed" of a CPU?

  1. A. How many cycles it runs each second
  2. B. The speed of the cooling fan
  3. C. How long the computer has been on
  4. D. The time shown in the taskbar
Show answer

Answer: A. How many cycles it runs each second

It is measured in gigahertz.

266.What is a "core" in a processor?

  1. A. An independent processing unit
  2. B. A cooling fan
  3. C. A memory chip
  4. D. A power socket
Show answer

Answer: A. An independent processing unit

Quad-core CPUs have four cores.

267.Which part of a laptop lets it work without mains power?

  1. A. Hard disk
  2. B. Battery
  3. C. Keyboard
  4. D. Charger brick
Show answer

Answer: B. Battery

Most laptops use lithium-ion batteries.

268.Battery capacity in phones is usually measured in what?

  1. A. mAh (milliampere-hours)
  2. B. dpi
  3. C. GHz
  4. D. GB
Show answer

Answer: A. mAh (milliampere-hours)

A 5,000 mAh battery lasts longer than a 3,000 mAh one.

269.The main board of a smartphone that holds the chips is called what?

  1. A. Display panel
  2. B. SIM tray
  3. C. Logic board (motherboard)
  4. D. Battery pack
Show answer

Answer: C. Logic board (motherboard)

It holds the processor and memory.

270.A "system on a chip" (SoC) in phones combines which parts?

  1. A. Camera and speaker together
  2. B. SIM card and memory card
  3. C. CPU, GPU and other parts on one chip
  4. D. Screen and battery in one unit
Show answer

Answer: C. CPU, GPU and other parts on one chip

Snapdragon and Apple A-series chips are SoCs.

271.Who created the JavaScript programming language in 1995?

  1. A. Rasmus Lerdorf
  2. B. Guido van Rossum
  3. C. Brendan Eich
  4. D. James Gosling
Show answer

Answer: C. Brendan Eich

He wrote the first version in about ten days at Netscape.

272.Who created the PHP language used on many websites?

  1. A. Brendan Eich
  2. B. Yukihiro Matsumoto
  3. C. Bjarne Stroustrup
  4. D. Rasmus Lerdorf
Show answer

Answer: D. Rasmus Lerdorf

PHP first appeared in 1995.

273.Who created the Ruby programming language?

  1. A. Niklaus Wirth
  2. B. Yukihiro Matsumoto
  3. C. Guido van Rossum
  4. D. Rasmus Lerdorf
Show answer

Answer: B. Yukihiro Matsumoto

Ruby was released in Japan in 1995.

274.Which company developed the Swift programming language for its devices?

  1. A. Oracle
  2. B. Apple
  3. C. Microsoft
  4. D. Google
Show answer

Answer: B. Apple

Swift replaced Objective-C as Apple's main language from 2014.

275.Which company created the Go programming language?

  1. A. Meta
  2. B. Google
  3. C. Apple
  4. D. Microsoft
Show answer

Answer: B. Google

Go was released in 2009.

276.Which company developed the C# programming language?

  1. A. Apple
  2. B. IBM
  3. C. Sun Microsystems
  4. D. Microsoft
Show answer

Answer: D. Microsoft

C# was designed by Anders Hejlsberg for the .NET platform.

277.Google made which language an official language for Android apps in 2017?

  1. A. Ruby
  2. B. Swift
  3. C. Perl
  4. D. Kotlin
Show answer

Answer: D. Kotlin

Kotlin was created by the company JetBrains.

278.Who designed the Pascal programming language?

  1. A. John McCarthy
  2. B. Dennis Ritchie
  3. C. Grace Hopper
  4. D. Niklaus Wirth
Show answer

Answer: D. Niklaus Wirth

Pascal was popular for teaching programming.

279.Which early programming language was created by John McCarthy for artificial intelligence research?

  1. A. Pascal
  2. B. COBOL
  3. C. BASIC
  4. D. LISP
Show answer

Answer: D. LISP

LISP appeared in 1958.

280.Which simple programming language was designed in 1964 for beginners?

  1. A. FORTRAN
  2. B. C++
  3. C. BASIC
  4. D. Assembly
Show answer

Answer: C. BASIC

BASIC stands for Beginner's All-purpose Symbolic Instruction Code.

281.Which programming language did Java mainly take its syntax from?

  1. A. C and C++
  2. B. Python and Ruby
  3. C. BASIC and Pascal
  4. D. COBOL and FORTRAN
Show answer

Answer: A. C and C++

Java was created by James Gosling at Sun Microsystems.

282.Who founded the Free Software Foundation and the GNU project?

  1. A. Bill Gates
  2. B. Linus Torvalds
  3. C. Richard Stallman
  4. D. Steve Wozniak
Show answer

Answer: C. Richard Stallman

He started the GNU project in 1983.

283.The GNU General Public License (GPL) is an example of what kind of licence?

  1. A. Proprietary licence
  2. B. Copyleft licence
  3. C. Shareware licence
  4. D. Trial licence
Show answer

Answer: B. Copyleft licence

It requires changed versions to be shared under the same terms.

284.Who founded the software company Oracle?

  1. A. Larry Page
  2. B. Paul Allen
  3. C. Michael Dell
  4. D. Larry Ellison
Show answer

Answer: D. Larry Ellison

Oracle is best known for database software.

285.Which Chinese company bought IBM's personal computer business in 2005?

  1. A. Xiaomi
  2. B. Lenovo
  3. C. Haier
  4. D. Huawei
Show answer

Answer: B. Lenovo

The deal included the ThinkPad laptop brand.

286.The chip-design company ARM is based in which country?

  1. A. Japan
  2. B. Taiwan
  3. C. United Kingdom
  4. D. United States
Show answer

Answer: C. United Kingdom

Most smartphone processors use ARM designs.

287.Which company introduced the PDF file format?

  1. A. Adobe
  2. B. IBM
  3. C. Apple
  4. D. Microsoft
Show answer

Answer: A. Adobe

PDF stands for Portable Document Format.

288.Which file extension is used for Microsoft Excel workbooks?

  1. A. .accdb
  2. B. .docx
  3. C. .xlsx
  4. D. .pptx
Show answer

Answer: C. .xlsx

Older versions of Excel used .xls.

289.Which file extension is used for Microsoft PowerPoint presentations?

  1. A. .pub
  2. B. .docx
  3. C. .pptx
  4. D. .xlsx
Show answer

Answer: C. .pptx

Older versions used .ppt.

290.Which file extension usually marks a program that runs on Windows?

  1. A. .jpg
  2. B. .exe
  3. C. .csv
  4. D. .txt
Show answer

Answer: B. .exe

"exe" is short for executable.

291.A ".csv" file stores what?

  1. A. Compressed pictures saved for use on websites
  2. B. Programs that run on Windows
  3. C. Table data with values separated by commas
  4. D. Sound recordings in high quality
Show answer

Answer: C. Table data with values separated by commas

CSV files can be opened in Excel and other programs.

292.Which file extension is used for Python program files?

  1. A. .java
  2. B. .exe
  3. C. .js
  4. D. .py
Show answer

Answer: D. .py

Python code is plain text and can be opened in any text editor.

293.Which type of RAM keeps data as long as power is on without needing refresh, and is faster?

  1. A. DRAM
  2. B. SRAM
  3. C. EPROM
  4. D. PROM
Show answer

Answer: B. SRAM

SRAM is used for cache; DRAM must be refreshed thousands of times a second.

294.Which type of ROM can be written only once?

  1. A. EEPROM
  2. B. Flash memory
  3. C. PROM
  4. D. EPROM
Show answer

Answer: C. PROM

PROM stands for programmable read-only memory.

295.EPROM chips are erased using what?

  1. A. High heat
  2. B. A strong magnet
  3. C. An electric current
  4. D. Ultraviolet light
Show answer

Answer: D. Ultraviolet light

They have a small window on top for the UV light.

296.Tiny, very fast storage locations inside the CPU are called what?

  1. A. Buffers
  2. B. Registers
  3. C. Clusters
  4. D. Sectors
Show answer

Answer: B. Registers

Registers hold the data the CPU is working on at that moment.

297.One petabyte is equal to about how many terabytes?

  1. A. 100
  2. B. 10
  3. C. 1,024
  4. D. 1,000,000
Show answer

Answer: C. 1,024

The next units are the exabyte and the zettabyte.

298.Which unit is larger than an exabyte?

  1. A. Gigabyte
  2. B. Petabyte
  3. C. Zettabyte
  4. D. Terabyte
Show answer

Answer: C. Zettabyte

The order is gigabyte, terabyte, petabyte, exabyte, zettabyte, yottabyte.

299.In computing, a "word" means what?

  1. A. A file saved in Microsoft Word
  2. B. A single unit of text typed in a word processor
  3. C. A password made of letters only
  4. D. The number of bits a processor handles at one time
Show answer

Answer: D. The number of bits a processor handles at one time

Most modern processors use a 64-bit word.

300.A 64-bit processor can handle data in chunks of how many bits?

  1. A. 128
  2. B. 64
  3. C. 32
  4. D. 8
Show answer

Answer: B. 64

64-bit systems can also use far more than 4 GB of RAM.

Test yourself

Free timed quizzes

Each quiz has 50 MCQs from this topic and 50 minutes. A correct answer earns 1 mark and each wrong answer takes off 0.25; skipped questions score nothing. No password needed.

Free · timedHardware and software Quiz 1 50 MCQs · 50 min · −0.25Free · timedHardware and software Quiz 2 50 MCQs · 50 min · −0.25Free · timedHardware and software Quiz 3 50 MCQs · 50 min · −0.25Free · timedHardware and software Quiz 4 50 MCQs · 50 min · −0.25Free · timedHardware and software Quiz 5 50 MCQs · 50 min · −0.25Free · timedHardware and software Quiz 6 50 MCQs · 50 min · −0.25
Next topicOperating systems

Tags

  • #Hardware and software
  • #Hardware and software MCQs
  • #Hardware and software MCQs with answers
  • #Hardware and software quiz
  • #Computer & IT MCQs
  • #Computer MCQs
  • #Computer Science MCQs
  • #IT MCQs
  • #Basic Computer MCQs
  • #MS Office MCQs
  • #Computer Shortcut Keys
  • #Networking MCQs
  • #Computer MCQs for PPSC
  • #Computer MCQs for FPSC
  • #General Knowledge
  • #GK MCQs
  • #GK for PPSC
  • #GK for FPSC
  • #GK for PMS
  • #PMS 2027
  • #CSS 2027
  • #PPSC
  • #FPSC
  • #NTS
  • #One Paper MCQs
  • #Competitive Exams Pakistan
  • #CSS Nexus