IT concepts and terminology set #1 (it Fundamentals)

Mark is a data analyst at a health tech company. They've collected data on customers' physical activity levels and sleep quality. Mark's task is to understand if there's a relationship between these two variables. Which is the BEST approach Mark should use?

• utilize dta correlation to determine the statistical relationship between physical activity and sleep quality

• remove any outliers in the data set before analyzing, as they can distort the results

• focus solely on the data about physical activity, as it the most important factor.

• ignore the acquired data and make assumptions based on personal experience

Answer explanation

Data correlation analysis is the appropriate statistical task to understand the relationship between two or more variables. Ignoring data and basing conclusions on personal experience wouldn't be an effective or accurate analytical approach. While outliers can influence results, they shouldn't be removed without careful consideration. In some cases, these outliers can provide valuable insights. Ignoring sleep quality data would not provide insight into the relationship between these two variables.

Aaliyah is faced with a complex problem in her software development project. Which of the following strategies would be the most effective for Aaliyah in solving this problem?

• waiting for a colleague to solve the problem

• breaking the problem down into smaller, manageable parts and solving each part individually.

• trying random solutions until one works.

• ignoring the complexity and trying to solve the problem in one go.

Answer explanation

Breaking the problem down into smaller, manageable parts and solving each part individually is the divide and conquer strategy. It allows Aaliyah to focus on each part of the problem individually, making the problem-solving process more manageable and efficient. While collaboration can be helpful, waiting for someone else to solve the problem can delay progress and does not guarantee a solution. Trying random solutions until one works can be time-consuming and does not guarantee a solution. It's also not an efficient use of resources. Ignoring the complexity and trying to solve the problem in one go can be overwhelming and inefficient, especially for complex problems.

You are the IT support technician for a company. An employee reports that their computer is running slower than usual. When asked, the employee mentions that file saving, program launching, and overall computer processing are slower, but internet browsing speed is unaffected. What could be the potential issue based on these symptoms?

• network connectivity issues

• browser hijack

• operating system corruption

• insufficient ram or displace

Answer explanation

If a computer is running slow, but internet speed is unaffected, it could be due to insufficient available RAM or hard disk space. This would specifically impact file saving, software running, and general computer processing. Browser hijackers predominantly affect web browsing performance and may change browser settings without permission. Given that internet browsing is unaffected in this scenario, this is unlikely to be the cause of slow system performance. While OS corruption can slow a computer down, it usually presents more severe symptoms, such as system crashes or failure to boot. The symptoms here align more closely with a lack of resources. Although internet browsing is involved in computer operations, the user reports no issues with browsing speed. Therefore, network connectivity is likely not the issue here.

Jacob is setting up a network for his company. He is comparing various internet service providers and their offers. In the context of network throughput, which unit should he consider for evaluating their data transfer rates?

• megabits per a second (Mbps)

• Ampre

• Graphics double data rate

• Watts

Answer explanation

Network throughput, or the rate at which data is transferred, is often measured in Mbps or Gbps (Gigabits per second). The higher the Mbps, the faster the data transfer rate. GDDR is a type of memory used in graphic cards, not a unit of data transfer. Watts measure power, not data transfer. Ampere is a unit of electric current, not data transfer.

Kris is a software engineer tasked with developing a new feature for an application. Which of the following strategies would be the MOST effective for Kris in ensuring the best solution?

• ignoring other potential solutions once he has found not that works

• waiting for a colleague to suggest a solution

• considering multiple approaches and choosing the one that best fit the requirements

• implement the first solution that comes to mind.

Answer explanation

Considering multiple approaches and choosing the one that best fits the requirements allows Kris to evaluate different solutions and choose the one that best meets the needs of the application and the team. While collaboration can be helpful, waiting for someone else to suggest a solution can delay progress and does not guarantee the best approach. While the first solution might work, it may not be the most efficient or effective. Considering multiple approaches can lead to a better solution. Even if ignoring other potential solutions once he has found one that works, there might be another approach that is more efficient, easier to maintain, or more scalable.

Which of the following fundamental data types is used to represent truth values, typically true or false, in a programming context?

• Boolean

• Strings

• Numbers

• Char

Answer explanation

Booleans represent truth values, typically true or false, in programming. They are specifically designed to handle these binary values efficiently and make it easier to work with logical conditions and operations. Char represents individual characters, including letters, digits, or special symbols, in a programming context. It is not designed to represent truth values such as true or false. Numbers represent various types of numeric values in programming, such as integers (whole numbers) and floating-point numbers (real numbers). They are designed for storing and processing numeric data, not truth values like true or false. Strings are sequences of characters used to represent text in programming. While a representation of truth values could be created with strings, it would be inefficient and not the appropriate data type for representing true or false values.

Which of the following fundamental data types is used to represent a sequence of characters or text in a programming context?

• Strings

• char

• Numbers

• boolean

Answer explanation

Strings are sequences of characters used to represent text in programming. They are comprised of individual characters but specifically designed to represent and manipulate the collection of those characters to form meaningful text. Numbers represent various types of numeric values in programming, such as integers (whole numbers) and floating-point numbers (real numbers). They are designed for storing and processing numeric data, not sequences of characters or text. Char represents individual characters, including letters, digits, or special symbols, in a programming context. It is designed for single characters, not sequences of characters or text. Booleans represent truth values, typically true or false, in programming. They are not used for representing sequences of characters or text.

Which of the following is NOT primarily used as a processing device in a computer system?

• GPU

• SSD

• CPU

• ALU

Answer explanation

An SSD is primarily a storage device in a computer system. It retains data even when the system power is turned off. It does not primarily execute processing tasks like a CPU or GPU. A GPU is a processing device that specializes in rendering graphics and image processing, and relieves the CPU of some of these duties. The ALU, or arithmetic logic unit, is a part of the central processing unit (CPU) that performs arithmetic and logical operations on binary numbers. The CPU is the main processing unit of a computer, often referred to as the "brain" of the computer. It performs the majority of processing inside the computer.

Sasha is working on her laptop. She types a command into a command terminal using her keyboard. The computer processes the command, and then information about the completed task is displayed on her screen. Which of the following statements BEST lists all of the functions described in the scenario?

• input/output and storage

• input, processing and storage

• output and processing

• input , processing and output

Answer explanation

his scenario demonstrates the input function when the user types a command, the processing function when the computer interprets and executes the command, and the output function when the resulting information is displayed on her screen. While input and output are indeed used in this scenario, storage isn't explicitly mentioned or implied. Moreover, the processing function is missing from this option. While input and processing are part of this scenario, there's no explicit mention or implication of storage occurring here. Also, this option doesn't include the output function, which is demonstrated by the results shown on the user's screen. While output and processing are indeed part of this scenario, this option is missing the input function, which is the initial act of the user typing a command.

A high-end computer has a 3.5 GHz multi-core processor. If a graphic-intensive task requires 2.5 billion cycles to complete, approximately how long will the CPU take to complete the task, considering it processes all cycles in a single core and efficiency is perfect?

• 2.5 seconds

• 5.0 seconds

• less than 1 second

• 10.0 seconds

Answer explanation

The clock speed of a CPU is typically described in cycles per second (Hz). So, a 3.5 GHz CPU performs 3.5 billion cycles per second. A task requiring 2.5 billion cycles could theoretically be completed in less than a single second under the scenario described. 10.0 seconds seems to show a misunderstanding of the relation between GHz and the number of cycles. The processor in the question is much faster and can complete 3.5 billion cycles in one second. 2.5 seconds would be true if the processor has a speed of 1 GHz. In this case, the CPU is running at 3.5 GHz, which is 3.5 billion cycles per second, so it can complete the task in less than one second given perfect efficiency. 5.0 seconds is unlikely considering the task in a 0.5 GHz speed scenario. Here, the given CPU is running at 3.5 GHz, performing 3.5 billion cycles/second.