Answers to practice questions Unit 1

1.1 DIGITAL DATA

[Page 8]
Practice questions
1. Consider the example below:

Product number Product description

24315 32Gb USB Flash Drive

Data is raw facts and figures with no meaning. 24315 is a sequence of numerical
characters. Information is data with meaning; in this example, 24315 is a product
number.
2. Computers are digital machines that use bytes to represent characters, whereas
characters are classified as letters, digits and punctuation marks. ASCII represents each
character as a unique byte.
3. Numeric, date and character.
4. Bitmap graphics are made up of a grid of pixels whereas vector-based graphics use
mathematical objects such as lines, curves, and shapes to represent images. When you
zoom in to or enlarge a bitmap image pixelation can occur which results in reducing
the quality of the image, whereas vector-based graphics do not lose their resolution
when enlarged.
5. When you zoom in to or enlarge a bitmap image pixelation can occur which results in
the pixels getting larger and appearing like a number of small blocks put together, thus
reducing the quality of the image.
6. The greater the number of pixels, the higher the resolution of an image. Therefore, the
higher the resolution, the higher the quality of the image.

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7. A buffer is a part of memory used to store a downloaded part of a video before

watching it. This assists the process of streaming; as the user is watching part of the
video, a buffer is used to download the next part of the video, thus preventing possible
time delays and disruptions.
8. JPEG (Joint Photographic Expert Group) files support the compression of images. The
level of compression can vary and can be controlled by the user. Higher compression
will reduce the quality of the image but decrease the file size hence making the image
load quicker. JPEG images are often used on web pages. PICT files are the standard file
graphic format for Apple graphics. They can support graphic interchange between
both bitmapped and vector-based graphics.
9. TXT file is a plain text document that contains no text formatting. It is stored as a ‘text’
file and can be opened by any word processing program to allow for text editing. RTF
(Rich Text Format) format is used for text-based documents including basic formatting.
It allows the movement of text files between different word processors and different
operating systems.
10. Data compression is used to reduce the size of a file in terms of storage requirements
and at the same time maintain the quality of the data contained in the file. Therefore,
data which has been compressed will take less time to upload and download.

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1.2 SOFTWARE

[Page 13]
Practice questions
1. System software enables the computer to operate its hardware. It acts as the interface
between the hardware and the user application program. Applications software
enables the computer to carry out a particular task such as a payroll.
2. It manages memory allocation given to programs and files that are currently being
processed. This is done by the operating system locating free memory space in RAM
and then allocating this to the program or the data file. It allocates processing time to
the programs using techniques such as time slicing. The operating system will also
manage the storage of data and files on external storage devices including backups and
data transfer between devices.
3. In real-time processing, data inputted is processed immediately. There is no time delay
in processing data and the output generated which will influence the next input
received. When you book an airline seat using real-time the booking system will accept
and process your request and then update the booking before the next seat is sold. If
the system was not updated as soon as the transaction occurs, then ‘double booking’
could occur.
4. A payroll application does not have to process data immediately as it can be done at
the end of a month. Batch processing involves collecting groups of similar data over a
period of time. In this case it will be employees’ daily hours worked. At the end of the
month these will be inputted to a computer system. The data is then processed at a
convenient time when a computer system is least busy (such as night time or at the
weekend) without human involvement.
5. A multi-user system is many users at different computers sharing a processor. It works

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by the operating system switching at high speed between the computers giving each
one in turn a small amount of processor time known as a ‘time slice’.
6. Task scheduling – a method by which the processor time is divided amongst a number
of tasks. It can be done using a ‘round robin’ method starting with the first computer
and then moving to the next in sequence. When it reaches the last computer it
automatically starts over again with the first computer.
Data backup and restore – a backup is a copy of the original data of a file in case it gets
damaged or lost. It can then be used to restore the original data to its previous state by
uploading the latest backup file onto the system.

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1.3 DATABASE APPLICATIONS

[Page 22]
Practice questions
1.
Field Name Data Type Validation
Customer ID Numeric Length
Date of birth Date Range
Gender Boolean Type
Email address Character Presence
2. Customer ID is a suitable key field as each customer can be given a unique ID which
can be used to identify a customer record.
3. Logo, interactive buttons, textboxes.
4. A query is used to search and extract data from the database to find the answer to a
question whereas a report allows tables and results from queries to be presented
using a customised layout making it visually attractive to the intended audience.
5. A macro is a small program that is produced to perform a repetitive database task
automatically. When the macro is saved the user would perform a single operation
such as clicking on a button and the instructions stored as that macro would be
executed.
6. Relationships are used to link two tables together using the same field. This helps elim-
inate the need to duplicate data and reduce the chances of data inconsistencies. Rela-
tionships are defined as one to one, one to many and many to many.
7. Importing data involves moving data from one software package to another, such as
transferring data in a spreadsheet to a database package.
8. When comparing data values in a database using a query, comparison operators can
be used such as ‘<‘ which returns data whereby the first value is less than the second
value.

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1.4 SPREADHSEET APPLICATIONS

[Page 31]
Practice questions
1. Merged, left aligned.

2. In planning for the party John has estimated costs for each item which will help him
ensure that the party cost is within budget.
3.
Cell Formula
D5 =B2-C2
B13 =SUM(B5:B12)
B14 =C13-B2
4. He can see which party items are below and over the estimated costs.

5. =IF(C11<B11,“Yes”,“No”)

6. John would use the cell range A5:A12 to label the bars and he would use the cell range
C5:C12 to show the costs for each item.

7. Using graphs in a spreadsheet can help visualise the data from a selected worksheet
which can greatly assist in the communication of information.

8. A macro is a small program written to carry out a task. It is produced by recording the
steps a user is carrying out to create a graph. Therefore, the next time a user requires a
graph they run the macro which could be in the form of a button.

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1.5 COMPUTER HARDWARE

[Page 40]
Practice questions
1. There are three main components of a CPU: control unit, arithmetic and logic unit
(ALU) and the immediate access store (IAS). The control unit manages the execution of
instructions (usually one at a time) which are usually in some sort of order, using the
‘fetch-execute cycle’. The ALU processes data that requires arithmetic calculations to
be carried out and it also performs logical comparisons using operators AND, OR and
NOT. The IAS stores all programs and data temporarily while they are in use.
2. The address of the current instruction or data being executed is temporarily stored in
the MAR whereas the MDR temporarily stores data being fetched from or written to
the main memory of the CPU.
3. The clock speed is an indicator of the speed at which the CPU can operate at. Cache
memory can be used to temporarily store frequently used instructions and data. Using
cache memory will result in an increase in processor speed as it is quicker than
searching RAM. Using CPUs that contain more than one core will increase their ability
to run many programs at the same time. For example, a ‘dual core’ CPU has two
processors which will double the speed of the processor.
4. When using a touch screen as an input device the user does not require much ICT
training compared to using a keyboard. Users can also select options quicker than
keying data in.
5. When using a microphone as an input device the recognition rate of spoken word can
be lower, particularly if there is background noise. Also, sound files require greater
storage capacity than text files which can increase access times.
6. A 3D printer takes the data from a computer-generated model such as a CAD task and

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creates a real solid object. A 3D printer can print on a variety of surfaces including
ceramic, plastic and metal. It prints an object a layer at a time and, after a number of
layers have been printed, a solid object is produced.
7. Memory cards are used in a range of digital devices including mobile phones. They are
compact and non-volatile storage devices. Memory cards come in a variety of shapes
and sizes such as SD cards and mini SD cards. Smart cards use a form of flash memory
known to us as ‘chip and PIN’. These cards contain a small embedded integrated circuit
(IC) which allows data to be written to and read from it by using a smart card reader.
They are small in capacity and are reliable.
8. RAM is a type of memory that can be read from or written to. It is volatile which means
the contents of the memory are lost when the machine is switched off. It is used to
hold programs and data that are currently in use. ROM memory can be read from but
not written to. Programs stored on ROM are permanent which means the contents
cannot be altered.
9. Bootstrap/BIOS program.
10. Cache memory is a type of memory used by the CPU. It is small in capacity, but access
speeds are faster than RAM. Its purpose is to store frequently accessed program
instructions and/or frequently accessed web addresses.

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1.6 NETWORK TECHNOLOGIES

[Pages 46]
Practice questions
1. A LAN is spread over a small geographical area such as a building or an office, whereas a
WAN is spread over a vast geographical area on a global scale.
2. The internet is accessible to any user who has a telecommunications link whereas an
intranet is a private network setup as a secure website owned and managed by an
organisation. While the internet is available to the public, an intranet is only accessible
by logging on with an authorised username and password.
3. A fitness watch can collect biological data about a person such as heart rates and
sleeping habits and in turn this can be communicated to a computer using Wi-Fi for
further analysis by the user.
An employee is able to use an app at work to switch their central heating on or off at
home.
When a user is on holiday they could use an app to turn lights on and off to help deter
burglars from entering their home.
4. Devices require a built-in wireless adapter to connect to a Wi-Fi network.
Communication is done through radio waves therefore no cabling is required to connect
to a router.
5. Advantage – data can be sent at very fast transmission speeds as it is sent as pulses of
light.
Disadvantage – optical fibre technology requires the use of repeaters for data to travel
over longer distances.
6. Network interface card (NIC) – an electronic circuit board that needs to be installed in a
computer to allow it to be connected to a network. Each computer on the network must

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have its own dedicated network card so that it can communicate with the file server and
the other computers on the network.
Network cables – used to physically connect a computer to a network. These cables are
plugged directly into the network card contained inside each computer and then
connected to another device such as a switch.
Switch – a hardware device that allows a large number of computers to be connected to
the network using network cables. Its purpose is to check the destination of data it
receives and ensures it is forwarded to the intended computer.
7. Computers are connected using their own cable to a main cable known as a backbone.
Data can travel in both directions along the backbone. To add a new computer to a bus
network, its cable is attached to the backbone. If the backbone cable fails, then the
whole network will not operate.
8. Advantages – users can save their work on the fileserver and retrieve it on any other
computer they log on to within the network. Hardware devices such as laser printers can
be shared by all computers on the network.
Disadvantages – If the file server fails on a network, such as a star network, then users
cannot access their files or communicate with other users. If there are a large number of
people logged onto the network, access speeds can slow down. For example, using the
internet could be slow if there is a limit on the bandwidth.

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1.7 CYBERSPACE, NETWORK SECURITY AND DATA TANSFER

[Page 52]
Practice questions
1. Hacking is a process whereby a person gains unauthorised access to a computer with
the intention of corrupting data stored on a hard drive or to steal personal data. Cyber
stalking is when people use technology to harass other people such as sending
inappropriate messages using social media forums. Data theft could happen when
personal details are stolen and then used to commit identify fraud such as applying for
a credit card.
2. A Trojan horse gains entry to a user’s computer ‘in disguise’. The user may think that it
is a useful piece of software such as a virus protection program and the instructions
would encourage the user to open and download the software. Instead it will be
harmful to the computer once it is opened and installed. Spyware on the other hand is
malicious software which is secretly installed on a user’s computer. It will track user
activities gathering useful information such as credit card details and password details
used for access to certain websites.
3. Network managers can allocate users different levels of access. Read only access
means the user cannot modify any data in those files but can see the contents of the
files. Read and copy allows the user to take a copy of the data and store it in their
documents where changes can be made but the original copy cannot be changed. Read
and write access allows the user to access and make modifications to the data that can
be seen by other users.
4. Data encryption involves using special software for scrambling data before it is
transmitted using an encryption key, making the data meaningless if intercepted. Only
a user with the encryption key software can unscramble the data when it arrives at its

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destination.
5. Hypertext transfer protocol (HTTP) is a protocol used by the world wide web to identify
and transfer webpages using the internet. When a user enters a web address (URL) into
the address bar of the web browser, this protocol sends a command to the web server
to request the required webpage. Hypertext transfer protocol secure (HTTPS) on the
other hand uses a secure socket layer (SSL) to ensure data is transmitted securely. It
uses encryption for sending data and decryption for receiving data.

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1.8 CLOUD COMPUTING

[Page 56]
1. The term ‘cloud computing’ is defined as a number of computing resources, including
data storage and software applications, offered and delivered ‘on demand’ to an
organisation using the internet.
2. The cost of cloud computing for providing software, maintenance and upgrades is
cheaper than a business paying for software licences for multiple users. If a company
are using their own hardware resources, there is a limit to the storage capacity of their
hard drives. The cloud provides organisations with software and automatic software
updates.
3. Some cloud providers only offer a limited bandwidth allowance. If an organisation uses
more than their allowance, then additional charges could be very expensive. Cloud
computing fully depends on communications technology as it is internet based. If the
internet connection or a communications hardware device such as a router fails, then
there is no access to the cloud.
4. Game producers are able to reduce their costs as they don’t need to pay high street
shops to sell games. Customers who buy a computer game can also download the
game immediately when it becomes available as opposed to waiting until it is released
into high street game shops. By using the cloud, it means the gamers do not need to
keep purchasing more up to date hardware. They have access to powerful game
servers and game ‘streaming’ using the internet. The drawbacks for the user are
ensuring they have the broadband capacity that is capable of streaming high-quality
graphics.
5. When users are working on their data files, automatic saving to the cloud takes place in
the background every few seconds; this means the chances of losing data is

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considerably reduced. Files that are stored on the cloud can be accessed by the user
from any location using any device that can connect to the internet. Files are stored
permanently online without the need for users to have their own local hard drive.
6. Cloud technology allows employees from an organisation to collaborate and share files
from anywhere in the world. Organisations can upload files onto the cloud and then
users will be invited to access the files using the web. As users make changes to files
stored on the cloud ‘synchronisation’ (or sync) takes place. This will ensure that when
one user makes a change to a file that this change will appear in the versions been
used by the other users. Organisations use collaboration tools available in the cloud for
file sharing. One such tool is ‘shared folders’ which available to each employee of a
team working on a project.

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1.9 ETHICAL, LEGAL AND ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT OF DIGITAL TECHNOLOGY

ON WIDER SOCIETY

[Page 65]
Practice questions
1. Four principles of the data protection act could be:
• Personal data should be adequate and relevant for its intended purpose
• Personal data should be accurate and up to date
• Personal data should not be kept for longer than necessary
• Personal data should be processed in accordance with the rights of the data
subject
The Copyright Designs and Patents Act – this act is designed to protect the property
rights of those individuals and organisations that create and produce material based
on original ideas.
Computer Misuse Act – this act is designed to protect computer users against crimes
including unauthorised access to computer systems and deliberately hacking into
computers to plant viruses or install malicious software such as spyware.
2. The information commissioner is a government regulator who is responsible for the
protection of personal data. They are responsible for enforcing the Data Protection
Act. The data controller in a company is responsible for determining the purposes for
processing personal data and the manner in which it is processed.
3. Internet misuse can happen when someone steals user details such as usernames
and passwords and goes on to use these details to make transactions such as
purchasing music. Internet misuse can involve users illegally downloading
copyrighted materials from the internet; misuse can also involve building websites to
promote violence and negative behaviour in society.

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4. Social networking can be misused when users target other users by gaining access to
their profile pages which contain personal information such as their location and
phone number. When users are given the ‘freedom of speech’ this has led to issues of
racial and religious hatred being communicated using social media.
5. Software engineers, app designers, web designers, game designers.
6. Teleworking is using ICT to work from home.
7. The advantages of teleworking for employees include no need to travel to work thus
saving time, flexible working arrangements allowing the employee to work when it
suits them and no need to live close to your workplace.
8. Repetitive strain injury (RSI) – minimised by taking regular breaks. Eyestrain – using
swivel bases on screens to deflect light away from the user’s eyes. Back pain – using
adjustable chairs which allow height adjustment and backrest tilting
9. Ways of making the workplace safer include: carrying out regular portable appliance
testing (PAT), a controlled air conditioning system in an office, and ensuring
appropriate fire extinguishers (such as CO2 which are suitable for electric fires) are
located in designated places in the workplace.

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1.10 DIGITAL APPLICATIONS

[Page 72]
Practice questions
1. Computer gaming can assist in training as virtual worlds can be developed allowing
users to take on different roles, reflecting on what could happen in certain situations
in a workplace. The range of multimedia assets used within gaming applications can
increase the motivation and communication skills of the user being trained. Training
can be controlled as games are designed with rules and levels of difficulty, whereby
the user must comply with the rules and they cannot move to the next level before
completing the previous level.
2. Simulation uses virtual reality devices which are designed to simulate a combination
of human senses such as vision, hearing and touch to allow the user to feel that they
are experiencing the actual situation. By using aircraft simulators, the pilot can be
given a range of experiences based on the various real environments they may
experience such as turbulence, thunderstorms or flying a plane with only one engine
working. All the pilot’s actions would also be recorded by the computer system and
can be used to provide feedback to both the pilot and the trainer. Using an aircraft
simulator is also safer than using a real plane for training.
3. The advantages of online banking to a bank is that they can save money as fewer
branches are required, resulting in fewer staff being employed leading to a reduction
in their wage bill. Banks can also provide ‘online only’ products such as e-statements,
which can save on paper and postage costs.
4. Concerns to customers include cybercrime whereby customers worry about fraud
resulting in loss of their money and their personal details being their stolen. Some
customers are also concerned about the lack of human involvement as they still

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prefer face to face transactions, as they may not be confident of transactions taking
place without human involvement.
5. If the employer has offices spread far apart geographically, employees in different
offices can access the training at the same time without having to leave their
workplace.The employees only need an internet connection or access to the
organisation’s intranet to take part in the training. Employers are able to monitor
progress as most online systems provide automatic tracking systems to record
progress. There are also drawbacks in using online training programs for employers.
Poorly designed materials may also not meet the business needs resulting in little or
no advantage to the employer. Also, employees may feel remote as there is no face to
face interaction which can affect their work rate.
6. Customised virtual reality training programs in the form of work-related simulations
offer a highly interactive and realistic form of training. Providers can incorporate
multimedia assets into their materials to help stimulate and make the content
‘realistic’ to the employees. For example, airline companies use flight simulators.
7. E-commerce allows customers to have access to all the major stores 24 hours a day, 7
days a week. For many customers, the advantage of shopping online is that it is more
convenient than visiting shopping centres as you can simply stay at home and use the
internet to purchase goods. Using the internet also allows customers access to more
information about products such as reviews and price comparisons without having to
travel from shop to shop.

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