Basic 8 Computing-1
Basic 8 Computing-1
COMPUTING
FOR
JUNIOR HIGH SCHOOLS
BASIC 8
E. H. MANTEY
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Achievers Computing for JHS
© 2021 E. H. Mantey
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in
any retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic,
mechanical, recording, or otherwise without prior permission of the author.
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ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
The author is grateful to the Almighty God for the direction and the strength
and enablement for this task to be accomplished.
My sincere thanks go to Rev. J. K. Bempong for his advice and spiritual
support.
Am also grateful to Mr. Awuni Samuel for his directions and encouragement
and Mr. Richard Mensah Gyapong for reading through the script and making
the necessary corrections.
Finally, I wish to thank my parents and the entire Mantey family.
DEDICATION
This book is dedicated to my late Grand Father T. S. Danquah and My
children Eden Danquah Mantey and Jason Jude Mantey.
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CONTENT
BASIC 8
STRAND 1: INTRODUCTION TO COMPUTERS
SUB-STRAND 1: Components of Computers and Computer Systems
1. Examine the parts of Computers
2. Demonstrate the use of the Features of a Desktop
3. Demonstrate the use of data and identify sources of data
SUB-STRAND 2: Presentation
1. Demonstrate How to Use Microsoft PowerPoint (formatting)
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SUB-STRAND 2 : Algorithm
1. Analyse Correct Step-by-Step in Solving Any Real-World Problem
SUB-STRAND 3 : Robotics
1. Discuss Robot Intelligence and Concepts
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STRAND 1
INTRODUCTION TO COMPUTING
SUB-STRAND 1
COMPONENTS OF COMPUTERS AND COMPUTER SYSTEMS
CONTENT STANDARD 1
PARTS OF A COMPUTER
Indicators
At the end of this content, learners will be able to:
Discuss the fourth-generation computers
Demonstrate understanding in the use of input devices
Examine the uses of the output devices
Examine Storage portable hard drives, Optical Discs and Drives.
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FEATURES OR CHARACTERISTICS OF FOURTH GENERATION COMPUTERS
1. Fourth generation computers are based on microprocessor.
2. These computers are very small.
3. Fourth generation computers are the cheapest among all the other generations.
4. They are portable and quite reliable.
5. These computers generate very small amount of heat; hence they do not require
air conditioning.
6. Production cost is very low.
7. Power consumption is very low.
Microchip
A microchip is also known as an integrated circuit (IC).
Microchips are used in all electronic devices - from small flash drives to complex
computers and even some motorized vehicles.
After the transistor was invented, subsequent technology
allowed for a reduction in size and the creation of complex
circuits that can be placed on a small piece of semiconductive
material, usually silicon, known as a chip.
Processor
The processor, also called the central processing unit (CPU), interprets and carries out
the basic instructions that operate a computer. The processor significantly affects overall
computer, all functions of the processor usually are on a single chip. Some computer and
chip manufacturers use the term microprocessor to refer to a personal computer
processor chip.
Processors contain a control unit and an arithmetic logic unit (ALU). These two
components work together to perform processing operations.
Control Unit: The control unit is the component of the processor that directs and
coordinates the operations in the computer.
Arithmetic Logic Unit: The arithmetic logic unit (ALU) is the component of the
processor that performs arithmetic and logical operations. Arithmetic operations include
basic calculations such as addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division.
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Processor Architecture
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Input device is any hardware component that allows you to send data and instructions
into a computer. Input devices take information obtained from outside the computer
system and send them into the computer. The widely used input devices are the
keyboard, mouse, microphone, scanner, digital camera, and webcam. The advantages
and the disadvantages of the various input device has been discussed below.
ADVANTAGES AND DISADVANTAGES OF INPUT DEVICES
KEYBOARD
Advantages
1. Enables fast entry of new text into a document.
2. Most people find them easy to use.
3. Easy to do verification check as data is entered, as it appears on the screen
simultaneously.
Disadvantages
1. Users with limited arm/wrist use can find keyboards hard to use.
2. Entering data is slow when compared to direct data entry (e.g., OMR).
3. They use up desk space as they are quite large.
MOUSE
Advantages
1. Faster to select an option by a mouse than a keyboard.
2. Enables easy navigation through applications and the internet.
3.
Disadvantages
1. People with restricted hand/wrist movement can find it hard to operate a
mouse.
2. They are hard to use if there is no flat surface available
3. They are easily damage.
JOYSTICK
Advantages
1. Easier to navigate round a screen compared to a keyboard.
2. Control is in three dimensions.
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Disadvantages
1. More difficult to control the on-screen pointer with a joystick than with mouse.
TOUCHPAD
Advantages
1. Faster to select an option by a touchpad than a keyboard
2. Enables rapid navigation through applications and the internet
3. They require no flat surface unlike a mouse.
Disadvantage
1. People with limited hand/wrist movement can find touchpads hard to use
2. It is difficult to control the pointer when compared to a mouse.
3. Drag and drop operation is difficult when compared to a mouse.
WEBCAM
Advantages
1. Allow people to keep in contact with each other without the need to travel
2. It is very useful in video and conference calling
Disadvantages
1. Webcams have limited features and often poor picture quality.
2. They need to be connected to a computer.
DIGITAL CAMERA
Advantages
1. They produce better quality photographs than traditional cameras.
2. Very easy to upload photographs to a computer.
3.
Disadvantages
1. The camera user needs to be computer literate to use the camera properly.
2. Images often need to be compressed to reduce the amount of memory used.
3. The resolution is not yet as good as traditional cameras.
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SCANNER
Advantages
1. Images can be stored for editing at a later time
2. It is possible to recover damaged documents and photographs by scanning them
again.
3. Scanners are much faster and more accurate than typing the whole documents
again
Disadvantages
1. The quality can be limited depending on how good the scanner resolution is.
MICROPHONE
Advantages
1. Faster to input text than to type it using a keyboard
2. Possible to manipulate sound using special software
Disadvantages
1. Voice typing is not accurate as typing in manually using keyboard.
2. Sound files use up a lot of memory space.
BARCODE READER
Advantages
1. Faster than manually keying information.
2. Barcodes enable automatic stock control.
3. When an item price is changed, only the central database needs to be updated,
there is no need to change the prices individually on each item
Disadvantages
1. Barcode scanning is an expensive system to use. since every item in the shops
needs a barcode and every barcode needs to be entered on the system.
2. Barcode can be swapped around on items this can affect the price.
3. Also, there is a need to invest in the computer technology and staff training
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LCD Monitors
Advantages
1. No radiation emission from the screen
2. Better under brighter conditions because of anti-glare technology
3. Lighter in weight with respect to screen size
4. Energy efficient because of lower power consumption
5. Produce lower electric, magnetic and electromagnetic fields
6. It has not affected by an increase or decrease in air pressure
7. Number of pixels per square inch is typically higher than any other technology
or system
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Disadvantages
1. Slightly more expensive than CRT
2. Suffer from a motion blur effect
3. High refresh rate
4. The aspect ratio and resolution are fixed
5. Restricted viewing angles
6. Slow response times
Laser Printers
Advantages
1. Printing is fast for high volumes.
2. Can handle very large print jobs.
3. It produces high quality printing.
4. Toner cartridges last for a long time.
Disadvantages
1. Very expensive to buy.
2. Only really fast if several copies are being made
3. Colour laser printers tend to be expensive to run since four cartridges are
needed.
Inkjet Printers
Advantages
1. High quality output
2. Cheaper to buy than laser printers
3. Very lightweight and take up little space
Disadvantages
1. Printing is slow if several copies are needed.
2. The cartridges run out very quickly.
3. Can be expensive use for large printing
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Dot Matrix Printers
Advantages
1. Very cheap to run and maintain
2. Carbon copies or multi-part outputs can be produced
3. Can be used in environments which would be a problem for laser and inkjet
printers dusty, dirty or moist atmospheres
Disadvantages
1. Very noisy and hence not good for an office environment.
2. Quite expensive compared to ink jet printers.
3. Printing is of poor quality.
4. Printing is very slow.
Graph Plotters
Advantages
1. Can produce very large printouts.
2. Print quality is extremely high.
3. Plotters are very efficient.
4. Plotters can print with speed and consistency.
Disadvantages
1. They are quite expensive.
2. The plotters are large in size, therefore, needs large space for installation
3. A plotter needs heavy maintenance
4. Plotters are not suitable for home use like printers.
5. Some plotters make noise while printing.
Speaker
Advantages
1. Usually long lasting and durable
2. Usually provided with the computer/laptop although these may not be the best
quality.
Disadvantages
1. Can take up a lot of desk space compared to headphones
2. High volume may cause hearing impairment
3. High volume can distract people around you.
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Projector
Advantages
1. Projected screen causes no damage to the eye as compared to other screens
2. They provide a large screen viewing
3. They can make a presentation more effective
4. Projectors are alternative to large televisions.
5. They are cheap than a large TV
6. They are easy to use and install.
Advantages
1. It needs dark room to get better result.
2. Needs maintenance regularly.
3. Installation cost is more.
4. They need separate audio device in most cases.
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In year one, we learnt that storage devices are devices that are used to holds data and
information for future use. They are used to store data temporarily or permanently.
Examples of storage devices are hard disks, floppy disks, CDs and DVDs, flash memory
cards, USB flash drives. In this unit we will examine storage portable hard drives, Optical
Discs and Drives.
Hard disk drive (HDD)
A hard disk, also called a hard disk drive or hard drive, is a storage device that contains
one or more inflexible, circular platters that use magnetic particles to store data,
instructions, and information. Depending on how the magnetic particles are aligned,
they represent either a 0 bit or a 1 bit. Recall from Basic 7 that a bit (binary digit) is the
smallest unit of data a computer can process. Thus, the alignment of the magnetic
particles represents the data.
A hard disk that is mounted inside the system unit sometimes is called a fixed disk
because it is not portable. With respect to a storage medium, the term portable means
you can remove the medium from one computer and carry it to another computer.
Portable hard disks will be discussed later. Current personal computer hard disks have
storage capacities from 120 GB to 2TB and more.
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Advantages of HDD
1. It has a very large storage capacity
2.
3. It has Persistent storage
4. HDD easily replaced and upgraded.
5. They are cheap compare to SSDs
Disadvantages of HDD
1. It depends upon on moving parts
2. The disk surface can be damaged easily.
3. It consumes heavy power.
4. It makes more noise.
5. Its read/write speed is slower than RAM.
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Solid-State Drives are used anywhere that hard drives can be used. Example, they are
used in personal computers (PCs), laptops, computer games, digital cameras, digital
music players, smartphones and tablets. They are more expensive than traditional
HDDs.
Examples of solid-state storage media are, SSD, pen drive, and flash memory cards
(memory stick, secure digital cards or SD cards, micro-SD cards)
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Disadvantages of Solid-state drives
1. They are more expensive than hard disk drive
2. SSDs have smaller storage capacity compare to Hard drives
3. Data recovery process is time-consuming and can be expensive, as the data on
damaged chips may not be recoverable.
4. SSDs to decrease in performance over time.
component SSD has no moving components HDD structure has moving parts
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Removable hard disk: A removable hard disk is a hard disk that you insert and remove
from a drive. Sometimes the drive is built in the system unit. Others are external devices
that connect with a cable to a USB port or FireWire port on the system unit. A
removable hard disk drive reads from and writes on the removable hard disk.
Removable hard disks have storage capacities up to 1 TB or more.
Advantages of Portable external and removable hard disk over internal hard disk
Although the transfer rate of external and removable hard disks usually is slower than
that of internal hard disks, they do offer many advantages over internal hard disks (fixed
disks):
1. Transport a large number of files
2. Back up important files or an entire internal hard
3. Easily store large audio and video files
4. Secure your data; for example, at the end of a work session, remove the hard disk
and lock it up, leaving no data in the computer
5. Add storage space to a desktop computer without having to open the system unit
or connect to a network.
OPTICAL DISC
An optical disc or media is a type of storage media that consists of a flat, round, portable
disc made of metal, plastic, and lacquer that is written and read by a laser.
(The spelling, disk, is used for magnetic and flash memory media, and disc is used for
optical media.) Optical discs used in personal computers are 4.75 inches in diameter.
Smaller computers, game consoles, and mobile devices, however, often use mini discs
that have a diameter of 3 inches or less.
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Optical discs primarily store software, data, digital photos, movies, and music. Some
optical disc formats are read only, meaning users cannot write or save on the media.
Others are read/write, which allows users to save on the disc just as they save on a hard
disk.
The three main types of optical discs are compact disc (CD), digital versatile disc (DVD)
and Blu-ray disc (BD).
Ripping is the process of copying audio and/or video data from a purchased
disc and saving it on digital media or on your computer
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Digital Versatile Disc (DVD)
Although the size and shape of a CD and DVD are similar, a DVD stores data,
instructions, and information in a slightly different manner and thus achieves a higher
storage capacity. DVD quality also far surpasses that of CDs because images are stored
at higher resolution. Widely used DVDs are capable of storing 4.7 GB to 17 GB,
depending on the storage techniques used.
A DVD-ROM (digital versatile disc-read-only memory or digital video disc-read-only
memory) is a high-capacity optical disc on which users can read but not write or erase.
Manufacturers write the contents of DVD-ROMs and distribute them to consumers.
DVD-ROMs store movies, music, music videos, huge databases, and complex software.
To read a DVD-ROM, you need a DVD-ROM drive or DVD player. Most DVD-ROM drives
also can read audio CDs, CD-ROMs, CD-Rs, and CD-RWs.
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Detailed storage capacities of DVD and Blu-ray disc
Sides Layers DVD Blu-ray
1 1 4.7 GB 25 GB
1 2 8.5 GB 50 GB
2 1 9.4 GB 50 GB
2 2 17 GB 100 GB
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Summary of disc formats
Optical Disc Read Write Erase
Read Only Memory Optical Disc Yes No No
CD-ROM, DVD-ROM, and BD-ROM
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ASSESSMENT TASKS
MULTIPLE CHOICE A. Writing
B. Burning
1. Which generation of computes uses
C. Ripping
the microprocessor technology?
8. Which of the following optical disc
A. Second-generation
format allows users to read data but
B. Third-generation
cannot write or erase?
C. Fourth-generation
A. CD-R
2. The generation of computers that
B. CD-ROM
uses the vacuum tube as its
C. CD-RW
A. First-generation 9. All the following uses solid state
B. Fourth-generation storage technology except
C. Second-generation A. HDD
3. Which component of the processor B. DVD
performs the mathematical C. SSD
operations? 10. The process of coping data from a
A. Arithmetic unit disc and saving it on a computer is
B. Control unit called
C. Memory unit A. Burning
4. A(n) _____ is a type of storage media B. Ripping
that consists of a flat, round, portable C. Writing
disc made of metal, plastic, and
lacquer that is written and read by a
laser. STRUCTURED QUESTIONS
A. Optical disc 1. Identify any three (3) disadvantages
B. Hard disk of computer mouse.
C. Memory card 2. State four (4) advantages of solid-
5. Which of the following devices has state drive over hard disk drive
the largest storage capacity? 3. Explain the following terms
A. Pen drive i. Read only optical disc
B. Hard disk ii. Recordable optical disc
C. Memory card iii. Rewritable optical disc
6. Which of the following device has the 4. List two advantages and
fastest access time disadvantages of keyboard.
A. Hard disk 5. Identify any four (4) ways of
B. Pen drive protecting your optical disc from
C. Optical disc damage.
7. The process of writing on an optical 6. State four (4) characteristics of fourth
disc is called? generation-computers.
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