Algorithms & Programming
What is an algorithm?
A set of instructions designed to accomplish a specific task
What is the difference between data and information?
Data is raw, unprocessed facts; information is data that has been processed and is meaningful
What does IP stand for in computer networking?
Internet Protocol
What is phishing?
A fraudulent attempt to obtain sensitive info by pretending to be a trustworthy entity.
Name one way computing has impacted the environment.
Positive: modeling climate change; Negative: e-waste, energy consumption.
What does it mean if an algorithm is efficient?
It solves a problem using the least amount of resources possible
What is lossy compression?
A data compression method that loses some original data when reducing file size
What is the main function of DNS?
To translate domain names into IP addresses
What is a strong password?
A password that is long, random, and includes a mix of letters, numbers, and symbols
What is open source software?
Software with source code that anyone can inspect, modify, and enhance
What will the following code output: print("3" + "4")
Answer: "34
What type of chart best shows the frequency of data values?
A histogram or bar chart.
What is packet switching?
A method of breaking data into packets to send it efficiently across networks.
What does encryption do?
It scrambles data so only authorized users can read it
Give one example of how crowdsourcing uses computing.
Apps like Waze use user data to report traffic in real time.
What is the difference between a parameter and an argument?
A parameter is a variable in the function definition; an argument is the actual value passed when the function is called
How does cleaning data improve its usefulness?
It removes errors, inconsistencies, and irrelevant information, improving accuracy and reliability
How do redundancy and fault tolerance work on the Internet?
Redundancy allows multiple paths for data, so if one fails, another takes over, ensuring reliability.
Why is a DDoS attack harmful?
It floods a server with traffic, making it unavailable to users
What does digital divide mean?
The gap between people who have access to computing resources and those who don’t
What is a heuristic and when is it used in algorithms?
A heuristic is a shortcut that gives a good enough solution for problems that are too complex to solve exactly
What is a metadata?
Data about data — for example, file size, date created, author, etc.
What is the difference between HTTP and HTTPS?
HTTPS is the secure version of HTTP; it uses encryption like TLS to protect data.
What is multi-factor authentication?
A security system that requires more than one method of authentication.
How can big data affect privacy?
Even anonymized data sets can sometimes be used to identify individuals.