Topic 1: Computational thinking, level 3

How does a merge sort algorithm handle large datasets?

• It uses a brute-force approach

• It uses a divide-and-conquer approach

• It compares adjacent elements and swaps them if necessary

• It searches for an item in an array

What is the purpose of abstraction in software development?

• To add complexity

• To simplify models

• To increase memory usage

• To slow down algorithms

Which logical operator returns True if at least one input is True?

• AND

• OR

• NOT

• XOR

What is the main benefit of using flowcharts?

• To write pseudocode

• To debug syntax errors

• To provide a visual representation of an algorithm

• To optimise memory usage

What does a linear search algorithm do?

• It uses a divide-and-conquer approach

• It compares adjacent elements and swaps them if necessary

• It searches for an item in an array

• It merges two sorted lists

What is the purpose of a truth table?

• To debug syntax errors

• To track variable values during execution

• To evaluate logical expressions

• To create flowcharts

What is the difference between a count-controlled loop and a condition-controlled loop?

• A count-controlled loop repeats for a fixed number of times, a condition-controlled loop repeats until a condition is met

• A count-controlled loop repeats until a condition is met, a condition-controlled loop repeats for a fixed number of times

• A count-controlled loop is faster, a condition-controlled loop is slower

• A count-controlled loop is slower, a condition-controlled loop is faster

Which algorithm uses iteration to process each element in a data structure?

• Bubble sort

• Merge sort

• Linear search

• Iteration over data structure

What is the benefit of using constants in code?

• To change values during execution

• To store values that do not change during execution

• To increase memory usage

• To reduce readability

Explain how merge sort works.

• It uses a brute-force approach

• It uses a divide-and-conquer approach

• It compares adjacent elements and swaps them if necessary

• It searches for an item in an array