DSST Introduction to Computing 5 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: What does 'bandwidth' measure in a network?
- The physical length of a network cable
- The maximum amount of data that can be transmitted per unit of time (Correct answer)
- The number of devices connected to a router
- The latency of a network connection
Correct answer: The maximum amount of data that can be transmitted per unit of time
Bandwidth is the maximum rate of data transfer across a network path, typically measured in bits per second.
Question 2: Which of the following is a characteristic of cloud computing?
- Resources are stored exclusively on local hardware
- Computing resources are delivered on-demand over the internet (Correct answer)
- It only works without an internet connection
- It requires dedicated proprietary hardware at every location
Correct answer: Computing resources are delivered on-demand over the internet
Cloud computing provides on-demand access to shared computing resources (storage, processing) via the internet.
Question 3: What is the purpose of data compression?
- To encrypt data for secure transmission
- To reduce the size of data for efficient storage or transfer (Correct answer)
- To duplicate data across multiple servers
- To convert data between different file formats
Correct answer: To reduce the size of data for efficient storage or transfer
Data compression reduces file size by encoding information more efficiently, saving storage space and speeding up transfers.
Question 4: Which of the following input devices converts physical documents into digital images?
- Plotter
- Scanner (Correct answer)
- Graphics tablet
- Webcam
Correct answer: Scanner
A scanner captures the visual information on a physical document and converts it into a digital image file.
Question 5: In database terminology, a 'primary key' is:
- The first column of every table
- A unique identifier for each record in a table (Correct answer)
- An encrypted password for database access
- The most frequently queried field
Correct answer: A unique identifier for each record in a table
A primary key uniquely identifies each row in a database table, ensuring no two records have the same key value.
Question 6: Which generation of computers first used integrated circuits (ICs)?
- First generation
- Second generation
- Third generation (Correct answer)
- Fourth generation
Correct answer: Third generation
Third-generation computers (mid-1960s) replaced transistors with integrated circuits, dramatically reducing size and cost.
Question 7: What does 'multitasking' mean in the context of an operating system?
- Running two CPUs simultaneously
- The ability to execute multiple programs apparently at the same time (Correct answer)
- Connecting multiple monitors to one computer
- Splitting a task between multiple users
Correct answer: The ability to execute multiple programs apparently at the same time
Multitasking allows an OS to rapidly switch between multiple processes, giving the appearance of simultaneous execution.
DSST Introduction to Computing 5
What does 'bandwidth' measure in a network?