Understanding Computers: Today and Tomorrow, 14th Edition
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Understanding Computers
Chapter Two: The System Unit: Processing and Memory
A Guide to this Instructor’s Manual:
We have designed this Instructor’s Manual to supplement and enhance your teaching
experience through classroom activities and a cohesive chapter summary.
This document is organized chronologically, using the same heading in brown that you see in
the textbook. Under each heading you will find (in order): Lecture Notes that summarize the
section, all Figures and Boxes found in the section, Teacher Tips, and Classroom Activities. Pay
special attention to teaching tips and activities geared towards quizzing your students,
enhancing their critical thinking skills, and encouraging experimentation within the software.
In addition to this Instructor’s Manual, our Instructor’s Resources CD also contains PowerPoint
Presentations, Test Banks, and other supplements to aid in your teaching experience.
For your students:
Our latest online feature, CourseCasts, is a library of weekly podcasts designed to keep your
students up to date with the latest in technology news. Direct your students to
http://coursecasts.course.com, where they can download the most recent CourseCast onto their
mp3 player. Ken Baldauf, host of CourseCasts, is a faculty member of the Florida State
University Computer Science Department where he is responsible for teaching technology
classes to thousands of FSU students each year. Ken is an expert in the latest technology and
sorts through and aggregates the most pertinent news and information for CourseCasts so your
students can spend their time enjoying technology, rather than trying to figure it out. Open or
close your lecture with a discussion based on the latest CourseCast.
Table of Contents
Chapter Objectives
Data and Program Representation
Inside the System Unit
How the CPU Works
Making Computers Faster and Better Now and in the Future
Glossary of Key Terms
End of Chapter Material
Chapter Quiz
Chapter Objectives
Students will have mastered the material in Chapter Two when they can:
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Understand how data and programs are represented to a computer and be able to identify
a few of the coding systems used to accomplish this.
Explain the functions of the hardware components commonly found inside the system
unit, such as the CPU, memory, buses, and expansion cards.
Describe how peripheral devices or other hardware can be added to a computer.
Understand how the computer’s CPU and memory components process program
instructions and data.
Name and evaluate several strategies that can be used today for speeding up the
operations of a computer.
List some processing technologies that may be used in future computers.
DATA AND PROGRAM REPRESENTATION (pg. 51)
LECTURE NOTES
 Explain that all digital devices work in two states. A circuit, for example, is open or closed,
current flows in one direction along a wire or the other, and so forth. The two states of a
digital computer are typically represented by 0s and 1s, which are referred to as bits.
 Using Figure 2-3, contrast the decimal and binary numbering systems. Explain that since
computers are digital, they have to perform all computations using 1s and 0s, so the binary
numbering system is used for mathematical computations.
 Explain how the ASCII and EBCDIC codes represent one character with 8 bits (one byte).
Cover the most common “byte” abbreviations (such as KB, MB, and GB) and make sure the
students know how to interpret a file size or other statistic written in that terminology.
Explain why Unicode has become necessary (for consistent treatment of data worldwide).
 Stress that all data (including numbers, letters, images, video, audio, etc.) must be represented
by 0s and 1s. Use Figure 2-6 to show some options for storing color data for images. Explain
that all programs must be converted in a binary equivalent (machine language) before
execution.
 If you wish to go over the content from the “A Look at Numbering Systems” and “Coding
Charts” features (located in the References and Resources Guide at the end of the text), this
would be an appropriate time.
TEACHER TIP
If you go over the addition and subtraction examples shown in Figure 5 in the “A Look at Numbering
Systems” feature available through the textbook’s Web site, be sure to point out that borrowing and
carrying in binary and hexadecimal is different than in the decimal numbering system. For instance,
the 1 carried into the 2’s column in the binary addition example is worth 2 and the 1 carried into the
16’s column in the hexadecimal addition example is worth 16.
BOXES
 Ask the Expert: Mark Davis, President, The Unicode Consortium (pg. 55)
FIGURES
 Figure 2-1, Figure 2-2, Figure 2-3, Figure 2-4, Figure 2-5, Figure 2-6
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CLASSROOM ACTIVITIES
1. Group Activity: Write a short word that uses the letters shown in Figure 2-4 (such as BAD,
CAB, FAD, or CAD) in ASCII or EBCDIC on the board or overhead and have the students
decode it. Next, list some storage capacities or file sizes (such as 25 GB, 1.5 MB, and 789 KB)
and have the students state the number of bytes in each. Have any students run into “byte”
terminology before? If so, ask them to share the context in which the term was encountered.
2.
Quick Quiz:
1. Another way to say “one million bytes” is _____________. (Answer: c)
a. one kilobyte
b. one gigabyte
c. one megabyte
2. True or False: MP3 files are stored using 0s and 1s. (Answer: True)
3. The _____________ numbering system is used by computers to perform mathematical
computations. (Answer: binary)
INSIDE THE SYSTEM UNIT (pg. 56)
LECTURE NOTES
 Describe the various components found inside the system unit. Explain that although some
people call the system unit the “CPU,” that is incorrect.
 If possible, show the students the inside of a real PC (use Figure 2-7 if a real PC is not
available). Be sure to show the motherboard, and stress that everything must connect to it.
Show how external devices such as monitors and printers connect to ports either on the
motherboard itself, or on expansion slots connected to the motherboard.
 Point out the CPU in either the real PC you are demonstrating or in Figure 2-7. Contrast its
appearance with the chips in Figure 2-8 to show that today’s CPUs are often surrounded by a
fan or other housing so the actual chip and circuitry is not easily viewed. Point out the four
cores in the Intel chip in Figure 2-8.
 Explain that RAM is temporary storage space, and is used to store data and programs while
they are in use. Use the analogy of a chalkboard—you can write numbers and formulas on it
(analogous to spreadsheet data in RAM), then erase it and write an outline (analogous to word
processing data in RAM). The chalkboard is the RAM that is temporarily storing your data.
The more RAM you have, the larger the chalkboard.
 Explain that a bus is just a path over which data travels (use the highway lanes and a freeway
vs. a country road as an analogy). Direct the students’ attention to Figure 2-15.
 Explain that system expansion for portable PCs and mobile devices is usually different, since
there is very little room inside those devices.
BOXES
 How It Works: Watson, the Ultimate Future Jeopardy! Contestant (pg. 59)
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Ask the Expert: James Bruce, Lead Mobile Strategist, ARM (pg. 61)
Ask the Expert: Mark Tekunoff, Senior Technology Manager, Kingston Technology (pg. 64)
Trend: “SuperSpeed” USB 3.0 (pg. 72)
FIGURES
 Figure 2-7, Figure 2-8, Figure 2-9, Figure 2-10, Figure 2-11, Figure 2-12, Figure 2-13, Figure
2-14, Figure 2-15, Figure 2-16, Figure 2-17, Figure 2-18
CLASSROOM ACTIVITIES
1. Group Activity: Divide the class into groups and give each group an old expansion card. Have
them see if they can tell what the card does just by examining it. Does it have a port attached
to it? What kind? What type of slot does it plug into? If there is an old PC without a cover
available to look at, can they find the matching expansion slot? Can students find a
manufacturer’s name or other identifying text on the card? Have each group present its
theories. If students can’t figure out what their card does, tell them what it does, and how
they might have been able to figure that out.
2. Quick Quiz:
1. Which type of memory is erased when the power goes out? (Answer: b)
a. ROM
b. RAM
c. flash memory
2. True or False: The CPU can also be called the motherboard. (Answer: False)
3. A(n) electronic path within a computer over which data travels is called a(n)
_____________. (Answer: bus)
HOW THE CPU WORKS (pg. 73)
LECTURE NOTES
 Discuss the different roles of the ALU (integer arithmetic computations and comparisons),
FPU (decimal arithmetic), and the control unit (coordinating and controlling activities).
Review the diagram in Figure 2-19 and briefly explain the function of each CPU component.
 Review the concept of the system clock and its role in determining the CPU clock speed.
Stress that while CPU clock speed is one factor in determining the speed of a PC, there are
many other factors that influence performance, as well. Stress that it is important to look at
the entire system when purchasing a PC, including the type of CPU, amount of RAM, cache
memory, and other factors that influence performance.
 Explain that there is now no exact standard in the industry for comparing CPUs, so it can be
confusing to compare computers today.
 Explain that regardless of how long it takes to process one piece of microcode, it is referred to
as a machine cycle. Run through the adding two numbers scenario illustrated in Figure 2-20
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with your students, tracing the route of the data as it passes through the CPU during each
machine cycle.
BOXES
 Inside the Industry: Moore’s Law (pg. 74)
FIGURES
 Figure 2-19, Figure 2-20
CLASSROOM ACTIVITIES
1. Group Activity: Break the class into three groups, and provide each group with a page from
an ad from Sunday’s newspaper showing PCs for sale, such as from Best Buy, Wal-Mart,
Staples, or a similar retail store (make sure each page has at least two computer systems on it).
Have the students select two computer systems and extract as much information regarding
the system’s processing power from the supplied ad. What processor does each system use?
What is the speed? Is the amount of cache memory listed? How much RAM does each system
have? Does the description discuss any specific slots, ports, or other features related to system
expansion? Have each group present its comparison of the two systems to the class, including
any conclusions that the group came up with regarding the PCs’ processing capabilities.
2. Quick Quiz:
1. The part of the microprocessor that performs integer arithmetic operations is called the
_____________. (Answer: a)
a. ALU
b. decode unit
c. control unit
2. True or False: Most modern computers can perform multiple instructions per clock tick.
(Answer: True)
3. The parts of the CPU that are used to store instructions or to store data before, during, and
after processing are called _____________. (Answer: registers)
MAKING COMPUTERS FASTER AND BETTER NOW AND IN THE FUTURE (pg. 76)
LECTURE NOTES
 Ask students if they have had any experience adding more memory, performing system
maintenance, or another technique used to speed up a computer. If so, did the technique
improve their PC’s performance? Discuss the various system maintenance activities listed in
this section, as well as possible fixes for a slow system, such as adding more memory,
upgrading the Internet connection, etc.
 Stress that PC makers are continually working on new improvements for computers.
Techniques such as pipelining, hyperthreading, faster buses, flexible processors,
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multiprocessing, and using new or improved materials are always being researched and
improved upon.
Define nanotechnology and stress its importance in many areas of research—not just for PCs.
Also mention that some computer components today fit the definition of nanotechnology.
Explain the possibility of quantum computers in the future and ask the students for their
reactions to the quantum computer shown in Figure 2-26.
BOXES
 Technology and You: The “Morph” Concept (pg. 82)
FIGURES
 Figure 2-21, Figure 2-22, Figure 2-23, Figure 2-24, Figure 2-25, Figure 2-26, Figure 2-27,
Figure 2-28
CLASSROOM ACTIVITIES
1. Class Discussion: Have the class brainstorm about possible products that use computer chips
and microprocessors today. Do they know what functions the chips provide to their stated
products? Can they think of other products that would benefit from the inclusion of a
processor in the future? What about products that would be improved if they included builtin computer processing abilities?
2. Quick Quiz:
1. Optical computers use which of the following to transmit and process data? (Answer: b)
a. Liquid
b. Light
c. Silicon
2. True or False: If your computer is running slowly, adding more memory might speed it up.
(Answer: True)
3. A quantum bit is known as a(n) __________________. (Answer: qubit)
3. Critical Thinking Activity: Ask the class to design a hypothetical computer of tomorrow, the
equivalent of a desktop or notebook PC today. How big would the computer be? Would it be
portable or built into furniture or some other object? Should it be wearable or embedded in a
person’s body? What is the ideal computer of the future?
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GLOSSARY OF KEY TERMS
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ALU (74)
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American Standard Code for Information Interchange
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(54)
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Arithmetic/logic unit (74)
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ASCII (54)
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Bandwidth (62)
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Binary numbering system (52)
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Bit (52)
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Bus (68)
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Bus interface unit (75)
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Byte (52)
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Cache memory (61)
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Carbon nanotubes (82)
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Central processing unit (58)
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CNT (82)
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Control unit (74)
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CPU (58)
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Decimal numbering system (52)
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Decode unit (75)
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Dual-core CPU (58)
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EB (52)
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Exabyte (52)
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Expansion bus (68)
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Expansion card (66)
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Expansion slot (66)
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ExpressCard module (67)
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FireWire (69)
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Flash memory (65)
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Floating point unit (74)
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FPU (74)
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Frontside bus (69)
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FSB (69)
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GB (52)
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Gigabyte (52)
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KB (52)
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Kilobyte (52)
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Machine cycle (76)
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Machine language (56)
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MB (52)
Megabyte (52)
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Memory (62)
Memory bus (69)
Microprocessor (58)
Motherboard (57)
Multi-core CPU (58)
Multiprocessing (80-81)
Nanotechnology (81)
Nonvolatile (62)
Optical computer (84)
Parallel processing (80-81)
PB (52)
PCI Express bus (69)
PCIe (69)
Petabyte (52)
Pipelining (80)
Port (70)
Prefetch unit (75)
Processor (58)
Quad-core CPU (58)
Quantum computing (83)
RAM (62)
Random access memory (62)
Read-only memory (65)
Register (65)
ROM (65)
System clock (75)
System unit (56)
TB (52)
Terabyte (52)
Throughput (62)
Unicode (54)
Universal Serial Bus (69)
USB (69)
Volatile (62)
YB (52)
Yottabyte (52)
ZB (52)
Zettabyte (52)
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END OF CHAPTER MATERIAL (solutions for the Review Activities and Projects are located
in the Chapter 2 Solutions file)

Summary: Summarizes the main concepts of the chapter-by-chapter objective. Includes all bolded
key terms in the chapter.

Review Activities: Helps students test their knowledge of the chapter concepts. Includes the
following:
 Key Term Matching. Includes 10 key terms from the chapter to match up with their
corresponding definitions.
 Self-Quiz. Includes five True/False and five Completion and/or Matching objective
questions. The answers to the Self-Quiz are included in the References and Resources
Guide at the end of the textbook.
 Exercises. Includes five Matching, Completion, and/or Short Answer questions.
 Discussion Question. Introduces a topic and some questions to start a class discussion
on that topic.

Projects: A total of six projects are included in the following seven categories. Projects that
require Internet access are marked with an Internet icon.
 Hot Topics. Includes a topic for students to research. Typically, they are asked to
submit a short summary of their findings.
 Short Answer/Research. Includes a topic for students to research. Typically, they are
asked to write a short summary of their findings.
 Hands On. Includes directions for a hands-on activity that students need to perform.
Typically, they are asked to write a short summary of their experience.
 Ethics in Action. Includes a topic for students to research and form an opinion about.
Typically, they are asked to discuss their position in class, via an online class
discussion group, in a class chat room, or via a class blog, depending on the
instructor’s direction. They may also be asked to write a short paper expressing their
opinion.
 Presentation/Demonstration. Provides students with a topic to research or an activity
to perform. They are asked to present their findings to the class in the form of a
presentation, as well as to submit a written summary, if instructed.
 Web Activities. Directs students to go to the Web site that accompanies this text and
work the Student Edition Labs and Crossword Puzzle; watch the Video Podcasts and
Online Videos associated with the chapter; and explore the Further Exploration links
and the Flashcards. They are also instructed to review the Online Study Guide, and
then test themselves with the Key Term Matching and Beat the Clock games, and
then taking the Interactive Quiz.
Reproducible Chapter Quiz
The Chapter Quiz on the following page may be reproduced to distribute to your students for
additional homework or an in-class quiz.
Top of Document
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Name:
______________
Course:
______________
Instructor: ______________
Chapter Quiz
Understanding Computers: Today and Tomorrow 14/e, Chapter 2
True/False
Instructions: Circle T if the statement is true or F if the statement is false.
T F 1.
A storage medium that can hold 512 MB can hold about 512,000 bytes.
T F 2.
Machine language instructions are written in just 0s and 1s.
T F 3.
The main board for a PC located inside the system unit to which all devices must be attached
is the memory module.
T F 4.
Hard drives tend to get more efficient as they fill up.
T F 5.
FireWire devices can be used with both FireWire and USB ports.
Multiple Choice
Instructions: Select the best answer for each question and write the corresponding letter in the blank at the left
of each question.
______ 6.
The part of the CPU that coordinates the computer’s operations is called the _________.
a. ALU
c. decode unit
e. register
b. control unit
d. prefetch unit
______ 7.
Which of the following types of memory is also used in storage media?
a. RAM
c. register
e. flash memory
b. cache memory
d. ROM
Matching
Instructions: Select the term that best matches each of the following statements and write the corresponding
letter in the blank at the left of each statement (all terms will not be used).
a. ExpressCard
b. PS/2 port
c. USB port
e. PCIe card
d. flash memory card reader
______ 8.
A type of expansion card commonly used with desktop computers.
______ 9.
A port commonly used to connect a printer to a PC.
______ 10. A type of expansion card commonly used with notebook computers.
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