← Computer Science syllabus

EnglandComputer Science

1.1 Components of a computer and their uses

5 dot points across 5 inquiry questions. Click any dot point for a focused answer with worked past exam questions where available.

How does assembly language map onto the processor, and what do the different addressing modes mean?

Assembly language and the relationship between assembly instructions and machine code, the instruction set with opcode and operand, the Little Man Computer model, and the addressing modes (immediate, direct, indirect and indexed).
An OCR H446 answer on assembly language and addressing modes: how assembly maps to machine code, the opcode-and-operand structure of an instruction, the Little Man Computer model, and the immediate, direct, indirect and indexed addressing modes with examples.
13 min answer →

How do magnetic, optical and solid-state storage work, and how do RAM, ROM and virtual memory fit together?

Input, output and storage devices: how different input and output devices are used, the characteristics, uses and operation of magnetic, optical and solid-state (flash) storage, the difference between RAM and ROM, and virtual storage.
An OCR H446 answer on input, output and storage devices: how input and output devices are chosen for a task, the operation, characteristics and uses of magnetic, optical and solid-state storage, the difference between RAM and ROM, and what virtual storage means.
13 min answer →

How does the von Neumann architecture move an instruction from memory into the processor and carry it out?

The structure and function of the processor: the arithmetic logic unit, control unit, registers (PC, ACC, MAR, MDR, CIR), buses (data, address, control), and the fetch-decode-execute cycle in the von Neumann architecture.
An OCR H446 answer on the structure and function of the processor: the ALU, control unit, the five registers (PC, ACC, MAR, MDR, CIR), the data, address and control buses, and a step-by-step trace of the fetch-decode-execute cycle in the von Neumann architecture.
13 min answer →

What makes one processor faster than another, and when is a GPU or a multi-core design the right choice?

Factors affecting processor performance (clock speed, number of cores, cache size and type), pipelining, and the characteristics and uses of CISC and RISC processors, multicore and parallel systems, and GPUs.
An OCR H446 answer on what affects processor performance: clock speed, cores and cache, how pipelining overlaps the fetch-decode-execute stages, and the characteristics and uses of CISC versus RISC processors, multicore and parallel systems, and GPUs.
13 min answer →

What does an operating system actually do, and how does it manage memory, interrupts and the processor's time?

The functions of an operating system: memory management (paging, segmentation, virtual memory), interrupts and the interrupt service routine, scheduling algorithms, and the distinction between systems software (operating systems, utilities) and application software.
An OCR H446 answer on the functions of an operating system: memory management with paging, segmentation and virtual memory, interrupts and the interrupt service routine, scheduling algorithms, and the difference between systems software (operating systems and utilities) and application software.
14 min answer →