Inside a computer

The _____ is the computer's main circuit board. It's a thin plate that holds the CPU, memory, connectors for the hard drive and optical drives, expansion cards to control the video and audio, and connections to your computer's ports (such as USB ports).

• Processor

• Motherboard

• Random Access Memory

• Hard drive

The CPU fits into the motherboard's CPU socket, which is covered by the _____, an object that absorbs heat from the CPU.

• Heat sink

• Processor

• Random Access Memory

• Hard drive

_____ is your system's short-term memory. Whenever your computer performs calculations, it temporarily stores the data here until it is needed.

• Motherboard

• Processor

• Hard drive

• RAM (random access memory)

A processor's speed is measured in megahertz (MHz), or millions of instructions per second; and gigahertz (GHz), or billions of instructions per second.

• True

• False

The more RAM you have, the more things your computer can do at the same time.

• True

• False

When you save a file, the data is written to the _____, which acts as long-term storage.

• Hard drive

• Motherboard

• Random Access Memory

• Processor

The hard drive is where your software, documents, and other files are stored. The hard drive is long-term storage, which means the data is still saved even if you turn the computer off or unplug it.

• True

• False

What does RAM stand for?

• Read Only Memory

• Random Access Memory

• Read Omitted Memory

• Real Actual Memory

The acronym CPU stands for

• Common processing unit

• Central procedures unit

• Central processing unit

• Common procedures unit

The CPU is sometimes called the 'brain' of the computer.

• True
• False