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Year 10
OCR

Practice searching and sorting algorithms

I can identify errors in flowcharts representing searching and sorting algorithms.

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New
New
Year 10
OCR

Practice searching and sorting algorithms

I can identify errors in flowcharts representing searching and sorting algorithms.

Download all resources
Share activities with pupils

These resources will be removed by end of Summer Term 2025.

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Lesson details

Key learning points

  1. Representing searching and sorting algorithms using flowcharts can help you to identify errors.
  2. On average, binary search can locate an item in a list in less time than linear search.
  3. If the data that you have is unordered, you must either use a linear search algorithm or sort the data first.
  4. Sorting algorithms can be used to sort data before a search is completed.

Keywords

  • Flowchart - a diagram that uses symbols to document the logic of an algorithm

Common misconception

If your data is not sorted then you cannot use a binary search.

Data does need to be sorted to use a binary search, though use of a sorting algorithm first would allow binary search to be used. However, consideration must be given as to the benefit of this approach for searching.


To help you plan your year 10 computer science lesson on: Practice searching and sorting algorithms, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...

Planning a flowchart before creating one is a great time saver. Outlining the algorithm in words first helps to plan the flow of the process before organising the appropraite shapes and arrows.
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Licence

This content is © Oak National Academy Limited (2025), licensed on Open Government Licence version 3.0 except where otherwise stated. See Oak's terms & conditions (Collection 2).

Lesson video

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Starter quiz

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6 Questions

Q1.
Match the algorithm to its key feature:
Correct Answer:insertion sort,places each element in its correct position

places each element in its correct position

Correct Answer:merge sort,uses divide-and-conquer to sort

uses divide-and-conquer to sort

Correct Answer:bubble sort,moves the largest element to the correct position

moves the largest element to the correct position

Correct Answer:binary search,requires a sorted list to work

requires a sorted list to work

Q2.
Arrange the steps of bubble sort:
1 - compare adjacent elements
2 - swap if they are in the wrong order
3 - repeat for all elements in the list
4 - stop when the list is fully sorted
Q3.
Arrange the steps of binary search:
1 - sort the list
2 - divide the list into halves
3 - check if the middle element matches the target
4 - repeat with the relevant half
Q4.
Which sorting algorithm is most efficient for small data sets?
bubble sort
merge sort
Correct answer: insertion sort
linear search
Q5.
What is the first step in merge sort?
compare adjacent elements
find the largest element
place each element in its correct position
Correct answer: divide the list into smaller parts
Q6.
Which search algorithm checks each element in a list one by one to find a target?
Correct Answer: linear search

Exit quiz

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6 Questions

Q1.
What is the purpose of using a flowchart for searching and sorting algorithms?
Correct answer: to identify errors in the logic
to replace written code
to create new algorithms
to sort data automatically
Q2.
What is the name of the symbol used to mark the start or end of a flowchart process?
Correct Answer: terminator
Q3.
What is the main advantage of binary search over linear search?
It works on unsorted data.
Correct answer: It is faster on average for sorted data.
It requires less memory.
it checks every element in the list
Q4.
What is the purpose of sorting data before a search?
Correct answer: to make binary search possible
to delete unnecessary data
to avoid using flowcharts
to make linear search faster
Q5.
Arrange the steps of the merge sort algorithm in the correct order:
1 - divide the list into smaller parts
2 - sort each part
3 - merge the sorted parts together
4 - combine all parts into a fully sorted list
Q6.
Match the term to its correct description:
Correct Answer:binary search,requires data to be sorted before it can work

requires data to be sorted before it can work

Correct Answer:sorting algorithm,organises data into a specific order

organises data into a specific order

Correct Answer:linear search,can search data that is not sorted

can search data that is not sorted

Correct Answer:flowchart,uses symbols to represent the logic of an algorithm

uses symbols to represent the logic of an algorithm