The following information is provided: Basic Components: A computer system is made up of a monitor or display, a keyboard, a mouse, and a computer. Input devices, such as the mouse and keyboard, feed information into the computer. Output devices, such as the monitor, display information that has been taken in by the input devices and processed by the central processing unit (CPU). The computer contains the CPU, memory chips, hard disk, and motherboard. Inside a Computer: The CPU and other chips in a computer contain integrated circuits. The circuits consist of millions of miniaturized electronic components deposited onto a thin slice of silicon. Computers use the electric signals and circuits within these chips to represent and process data. A binary number system is used, in which data are stored digitally as strings of 1’s and 0’s. The digits of a binary number are transmitted as electrical pulses. Each digit is called a bit, with 8 bits making up a byte. Manipulating Bits and Bytes: Computer programs and data, such as word processing files, are stored for the long term on magnetic storage devices such as the hard disk. It is only during actual use of a program and work on data files that they are moved to RAM. Both the hard disk and RAM store data in bytes. Heat Sink: Heat is generated by the flow of electricity inside the computer. A heat sink is needed to dissipate the heat. It draws heat away from the components to protect them. CPU: The central processing unit carries out program instructions and controls all the information flowing around the computer. Motherboard: This large circuit board houses the CPU, RAM, and ROM (read-only memory). ROM is permanent memory that includes startup instructions. Components of a chip: - Components formed from layers of silicon - Magnified section of part of the surface of a silicon chip through which data are transmitted - Microprocessor chip Process for working with a file and the program:

1. Program startup The file to be worked on and the program that allows it to be worked on are stored on the hard disk. Copies of both are moved, via circuits in the motherboard and cables, from hard disk storage to RAM.
2. Work in progress Under the user’s control, the CPU works through program instructions. It makes changes to the copy of the data held in RAM.
3. End of session The updated data are saved back to the hard disk, and the program that was being used is erased from RAM.
4. RAM Random-access memory (RAM) is used to store programs that are being run. Information is temporarily stored in RAM as a series of 1’s and 0’s. When the computer is switched off, any information stored in RAM is lost.