Abstraction Concepts Flashcards

Which of the following best describes a 'procedural abstraction'?

Answer: Hiding the implementation details of a procedure behind a named call

Procedural abstraction lets a programmer call a named procedure without knowing how it is implemented internally.

A programmer creates a function called `calculateTax(income)` so that other parts of the program don't need to know the tax formula. This is an example of:

Answer: Procedural abstraction

Hiding the formula inside a named function and calling it by name is procedural abstraction.

Which statement about layers of abstraction in computing is TRUE?

Answer: Higher layers hide the complexity of lower layers

Each higher layer of abstraction hides the complexity of the layer beneath it, simplifying what the programmer must handle.

In the context of AP CSP, what is a 'model' as a form of abstraction?

Answer: A simplified representation that captures only relevant features

A model is an abstraction that represents only the features relevant to the problem, ignoring unnecessary details.

Which of the following is an example of data abstraction?

Answer: Using a list to represent a collection of student scores without specifying how the list is stored in memory

Using a list to represent scores without knowing the underlying memory layout is data abstraction.

Why do programmers use abstraction when building large software systems?

Answer: To manage complexity by hiding unnecessary details

Abstraction manages complexity by allowing programmers to focus on high-level design rather than low-level implementation details.

A library provides a function `sortList(list)` that sorts any list. The programmer using the library does not know whether it uses bubble sort or merge sort. This illustrates:

Answer: Abstraction — the implementation details are hidden behind an interface

The sorting algorithm is hidden behind the function name, which is the essence of abstraction.