history of computers

What marked the second generation of electronic computing?

• The use of vacuum tubes

• The introduction of integrated circuits

• The replacement of vacuum tubes with discrete transistors

• The development of photolithography

Who is widely regarded as the father of modern integrated circuits?

• Jack Kilby

• Robert Noyce

• Gordon Moore

• IBM

What was the main material used by Fairchild Semiconductor for ICs, making them more stable and reliable?

• Copper

• Silicon

• Aluminium

• Germanium

What does Moore's Law predict?

• The cost of ICs will halve every two years

• The number of transistors on an IC will double approximately every two years

• The speed of computers will double every two years

• The size of transistors will halve every two years

What was the significance of the Intel 4004 CPU?

• It was the first processor to contain over a million transistors

• It was the first processor to use photolithography

• It was the first processor that shipped as an integrated circuit

• It was the first processor to use vacuum tubes

What is the main challenge mentioned that is holding back further miniaturization of transistors?

• The cost of production

• The complexity of VLSI software

• The availability of silicon

• The limits of photomask and wafer resolution

What phenomenon causes transistors to leak current when they get really small?

• Quantum tunneling

• Electromagnetic interference

• Thermal noise

• Capacitive coupling

What was the first message transferred over the Internet in 1969?

• It is not specified in the text

• The phrase 'one small step for man'

• The complete works of Shakespeare

• A simple 'hello'

What is photolithography used for in the context of creating integrated circuits?

• To connect the ICs to the printed circuit boards

• To clean the silicon wafers

• To transfer complex patterns to a material like a semiconductor

• To insulate the components from each other

What innovation allowed engineers to avoid soldering and bundling up bazillions of wires?

• Vacuum tubes

• Photomasks

• Discrete transistors

• Printed circuit boards (PCBs)