History of Computing Study Guide

What was the earliest recognized device for computing?

• papyrus tables
• the abacus
• the astrolabe
• the slide rule

Where and when was the abacus invented?

• in Egypt around 5000 BCE
• in Europe around 250 BCE
• in Mesopotamia around 2500 BCE
• in Africa around 500 BCE

On this abacus, with rows representing powers of ten, what number is shown?

• 2,512

• 1,521

• 1,251

• 5,121

Which device enabled sailors to calculate their latitude at sea?

• an astrolabe
• a slide rule
• an abacus
• a difference engine

The earliest documented use of the word “computer” is from a book written in the year ___

• 1183
• 1392
• 1613
• 1984

In the early days, a "computer" was ___

• any new tool that aided calculations
• a person who did calculations
• a series of step reckoners
• a device for storing data

The gear-based calculating device, built by Gottfried Leibniz in 1694, was known as ___

• the step reckoner
• the astrolabe
• the slide rule
• the difference engine

The step reckoner was so successful it was used as a calculator design for ___

• the next three decades
• the next six decades
• the next three centuries
• the next six centuries

Before the 20th century, most people experienced computing through ___

• books and magazines
• pre-computed tables
• science fiction
• punched cards

Militaries were among the first to apply computing to complex problems, such as ___

• determining quantities of explosives
• calculating range tables
• modelling cannon shapes
• performing combustion analysis