Understanding Search Algorithms Quiz

What is a linear search?

• A method that checks each item in a list one by one to find a target value

• A method that always starts searching from the middle of the list

• A way to sort numbers in order

• A method that skips every other item in the list

Which of the following is the first step in a binary search?

• Check every item from the start

• Divide the list into two halves and check the middle item

• Sort the list in reverse order

• Skip to the last item

What is one advantage of using linear search?

• It only works on sorted lists

• It is simple and easy to understand

• It is always the fastest method

• It requires a lot of memory

Which of the following is a disadvantage of binary search?

• It is very slow for large lists

• It can only be used on sorted lists

• It checks every item in the list

• It uses too much memory

Which real-life situation is similar to using a linear search?

• Looking for a word in a dictionary by checking every page

• Guessing a number by always choosing the middle value

• Using a map to find the shortest route

• Sorting your books by height

What happens if the target value is not found in a linear search?

• The search stops after the first item

• The search continues until every item has been checked

• The search skips to the end of the list

• The search only checks the middle item

Why might binary search be faster than linear search for large, sorted lists?

• It checks every item in the list

• It ignores half of the list each time

• It starts from the end of the list

• It uses more memory

Which of the following is NOT a step in binary search?

• Check the middle item

• If the target is smaller, search the left half

• If the target is larger, search the right half

• Check every item from start to end

Which of these is a disadvantage of linear search?

• It only works on sorted lists

• It can be slow for large lists

• It is difficult to understand

• It requires the list to be in alphabetical order

Which real-life example best matches how binary search works?

• Reading every book on a shelf to find your favourite

• Looking for a name in a sorted phone book by opening to the middle and deciding which half to search next

• Checking every house on a street to find your friend’s house

• Mixing all your socks together and picking them out one by one