Basic components of a computer system

The governing concept is electrostatic discharge, or ESD. A person or object can carry a small static charge, and when it suddenly discharges into a circuit, the voltage may damage delicate components such as memory chips, processors, or motherboard circuits. Therefore, option D is correct. Renaming files, changing brightness, or reducing printer speed are software or peripheral actions and are not direct effects of static electricity inside the computer.

The governing safety principle is preventing electrostatic discharge during hardware handling. Safely grounding yourself equalizes electrical potential, while holding a circuit board by its edges avoids touching exposed contacts and chips. Thus, option A is correct. Rubbing parts on cloth can create more static, keeping power on increases electrical danger, and spraying water can cause short circuits and permanent damage.

The governing concept is thermal management through airflow. Intake fans should bring cooler air into the case, while exhaust fans should remove heated air from the processor, graphics card, and other components. If these paths are poorly balanced or blocked, hot air can remain inside and raise temperatures, so option B is correct. Airflow does not change RAM type, delete files, or directly shut down a printer.

The governing concept is efficient case airflow rather than fan count alone. Fans must be arranged so that cool air enters, warm air leaves, and internal cables or components do not block the path. Opposing directions or poorly placed fans can create turbulence and recirculate hot air. Therefore, option C is correct; the other choices incorrectly deny the cooling role of fans or airflow.

The governing concept is that a computer is an integrated system, not a collection of independent devices. Input supplies data, the processor handles instructions, memory and storage hold information, communication paths transfer signals, and output presents results. Software directs hardware operations. Therefore option B is correct; A ignores coordination, while C and D wrongly assign every function to the processor or hardware alone.

The governing concept is the CPU instruction cycle. First, the control unit fetches the next instruction from memory. It then decodes the instruction to determine the required operation and operands. Finally, the CPU executes it, which may involve calculation, movement of data or an output action. Therefore option A gives the correct sequence; the other options place decoding, fetching, storage or printing in an incorrect order.

The governing concept is the division of functions inside the CPU. The control unit fetches and interprets instructions, then coordinates the movement of data and signals. The arithmetic logic unit performs arithmetic operations such as addition and logical comparisons such as greater-than or equality tests. Hence option B is correct. A confuses processing with storage, while C and D assign unrelated roles to the ALU and control unit.

The governing concept is active working memory. RAM temporarily holds the instructions and data needed by running programs. With more RAM, more applications can remain in main memory at the same time, reducing the need to move inactive portions to slower storage. This can make switching and multitasking smoother, so option A is correct. Extra RAM does not double CPU cores, permanently speed storage or increase monitor resolution.

The governing concept is volatility, which describes whether memory needs continuous power to retain stored information. ROM is non-volatile because its stored instructions or data normally remain available when the computer is switched off. That persistent property makes option C correct. Option B describes volatile behavior, while A incorrectly limits ROM to video and D confuses a memory characteristic with the physical location of a device.

The governing concept is the different role of working memory and long-term storage. Primary memory, especially RAM, gives the CPU relatively fast access to instructions and data needed by currently running tasks. Secondary storage, such as an SSD or hard drive, preserves files and programs for longer-term use, usually without continuous power. Therefore option D is correct; the other options confuse storage roles with output or calculation.

The governing concept is the system bus, which provides communication among computer components. The data bus carries the actual binary data between the CPU, memory and input-output devices, allowing information to be read, written or transferred. Therefore, option A is correct. Cooling is performed by fans and heat sinks, file deletion is managed by software, and supplying paper is a printer function, so options B, C and D are unrelated.

The address bus carries address information rather than the data itself. When the CPU needs to read or write, it places the number of the required memory location or device on this bus so that the correct destination is selected. Thus option B is correct. Audio transfer belongs to other communication pathways, brightness is controlled by display hardware or software, and storage capacity is not increased by an address bus.

The governing concept is coordination of operations inside a computer. The control bus carries command and timing signals, such as read, write, interrupt and synchronization signals, telling the CPU, memory and other devices what action to perform and when. Therefore option C is correct. Image data and user files travel through data pathways, while internet addresses are networking information, so options A, B and D do not describe the control bus.

A motherboard chipset is a collection of controller components that helps coordinate communication among the CPU, memory, expansion devices and other hardware. It also influences supported interfaces and system capabilities. Therefore option D is correct. Printing and sound recording are application or peripheral functions, while renaming files is an operating-system task, so options A, B and C are not the chipset’s main purpose.

An expansion slot is a connector on the motherboard designed to accept an expansion card. A user may install a graphics, sound, network or other specialised card to add or improve system capabilities. Therefore option A is correct. Documents are stored on storage devices, shutdown is controlled by the operating system and power controls, and printer ink cannot be added through a motherboard slot.

The coin-cell battery supplies a small standby current that preserves the real-time clock and selected firmware settings while the computer is unplugged. If it becomes weak, the date and time may reset or become inaccurate after shutdown. Therefore option B is correct. A battery cannot add CPU cores or storage capacity, and it cannot make a printer print automatically, so the other choices are implausible.

Mains electricity is not supplied in the exact form or voltage required by computer components. The power supply unit converts alternating current into the required regulated direct-current outputs and distributes suitable voltages to the motherboard, drives and other hardware. Thus option C is correct. Image enlargement, internet communication and file compression are performed by display, network or software systems, not by the PSU.

During a heavy workload, the CPU and graphics hardware may draw more electrical power. If the PSU cannot provide enough stable current, voltage can fall or protection circuits can activate, causing instability, a sudden shutdown or an unexpected restart. Therefore option D is correct. Workload-related power shortage does not enlarge the monitor, compress every file or change the keyboard layout.

The governing concept is heat transfer in a computer cooling system. A heat sink draws heat from a processor or other component and spreads it through fins over a larger surface area. The fan moves air across those fins, carrying heat away from the component. Therefore option A is correct. Neither device stores data, produces only sound, or performs CPU calculations.

Thermal throttling is a protective control built into many processors. When temperature approaches a risky limit, the CPU reduces its clock speed or operating voltage, lowering power use and heat generation. Performance may temporarily decrease, but this helps reduce the chance of overheating damage. Therefore option B is correct; storage, monitor resolution and printer speed are unrelated to this temperature-protection mechanism.

The governing concept is parallel processing: a GPU is designed with many processing cores that can perform numerous similar operations at the same time. Graphics calculations, image pixels, and some scientific or AI workloads can therefore be divided into smaller tasks and handled simultaneously. Option C is correct because it identifies the multiple small cores that enable this design. The other options describe storage, power backup, or a single-instruction limitation, none of which explains GPU parallelism.

Dedicated video memory, commonly called VRAM, stores graphics data such as textures, frames, and display information close to the graphics processor. Because this data has its own memory space, the graphics card generally places less demand on the computer’s main RAM, leaving more system memory for other programs. Option D is correct. The other choices concern deleting files, replacing the operating system, or networking a printer, which are unrelated to VRAM.

The governing concept is signal conversion. A microphone produces a continuously varying analog electrical signal, but a computer stores and processes information in digital form. During recording, the sound card samples the analog waveform and represents its measurements as digital numbers; this is analog-to-digital conversion. Option A is correct. Displaying text, renaming a file, and loading printer paper do not convert microphone sound into computer data.

The governing concept is the MAC, or Media Access Control, address. It is a hardware-level identifier assigned to a network interface and is used to distinguish that interface on a local network. Therefore option B is correct. A MAC address is not a file extension or a screen measurement, and it does not specifically identify a printer; a printer may have its own network interface and MAC address. It should also be distinguished from an IP address, which is a logical network address.

The governing concept is magnetic hard-disk access. A traditional hard disk contains rotating platters and a movable read/write head. Seek time is the interval required for that head to move to the track containing the requested data; it is different from rotational latency, which is the wait for the sector to rotate under the head. Option A is correct. Screen refresh, printer feeding, and mouse input are unrelated timing processes.