Computer Science

measured in gigahertz, this defines thenumber of FE cycles the CPU can complete per second

onboard memory of the CPU, measured in megabytes

mini processor inside the CPU carrying out instructions independently

Computer specifications

Software and embedded systems

Operating system

The processor

The fetch-execute (FE) cycle

Main memory

Secondary storage

Environmental impacts of computing devices

In this unit pupils will discover the difference between general purpose and embedded systems. They will examine computer architecture and the components that make up a processor. Pupils will recognise the need for storage and be able to select a suitable storage device for a given purpose.

Computer Systems

can improve performance if other components support it

Match each scenario to the correct effect:

it can improve performance, but only if other hardware can support it

Which statement is correct about increasing CPU cores and clock speed?

a mini processor that carries out instructions independently

Put these steps in order for how a CPU processes instructions:

What does increasing the clock speed depend on?

Put these storage types in order from oldest to newest technology:

What type of storage uses lasers to read and write data?

Which type of storage is best for quick access and durability?

What is the main characteristic of magnetic storage?

What is the main advantage of solid state storage over magnetic storage?

Computer specifications

Lesson outcome