UNIT TWO

Computer Hardware

At the end of this unit, students will be able to:

 identify the hardware components of computer;
 identify functions of each hardware components;
 explain computer hardware.

2.1. Introduction to Computer Hardware

Brainstorming activity

Dear students, do you know what computer hardware is?

Can you give us an example of computer hardware?

Computer hardware: is the physical part of the computer that you can see and
touch.

Computer hardware can be categorized based on the nature of their functions:

 Input devices
 Processing (Central processing unit)
 Output devices
 Storage devices

2.2. Input Devices

Input devices are parts of computer hardware that are used to insert data into
computer system.

Common input devices are:

 Keyboard Mouse
 Scanner Touch screen
 Light Pen Barcode reader
 Microphone Camera

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Keyboard: is the most common and widely used input device for entering data
into a computer.

Mouse: is another important tool for communicating with computers. Commonly

known as a pointing device, allows you to point to things on the screen, click on
them, and move them around.

Scanner: is used to convert a hardcopy document such as photographs to softcopy.

Touch screen: a touch sensitive screen is a pointing device that allows the user to
interact with the computer by touching it.

Light pen: is a pointing device in the shape of a pen. It can be used to select a
menu item or to draw on the monitor screen.

Camera: is used to capture photographs and save them in its memory.

Barcode reader: a barcode is a pattern made up of different thickness lines.

This technology allows for quick and error-free data entry into the computer.

Barcode reader is used to read a barcode.

Microphone: it is a device used to input spoken word as input data or commands.

Activity 2.1

List at least three types of input devices and discuss their functions in group.

please make a small group and match input devices to the tasks below.

1. To capture a photo of your family

2. To record and input your voice to the

2.3. Central Processing Unit (CPU)

Brainstorming activity

Dear students, do you know what CPU is?

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CPU is the brain of the computer which performs all arithmetic, logical and
control operations. It is responsible for all functions and processes.

The CPU consists of three components: arithmetic-logic unit, control unit, and
register.

Arithmetic-Logic Unit (ALU)

ALU is responsible for performing arithmetic and logical operations, and

comparing data. Arithmetic calculation is used to perform addition, subtraction,
multiplication and division whereas logical operation is used to compare numbers,
letters, or special characters.

Control Unit

The control unit controls and directs the operation of the whole computer system.
Registers

Register is a special and a small high speed memory of CPU which is used to
store temporary results and control information.

2.4. Output devices

An output device is computer hardware that allows a computer to communicate the

results of data processing to the outside world. A computer’s output device allows
data to be easily understood by a human.

The following are some of the important output devices used in a computer.

 Monitor
 Printer
 Plotters
 Speaker

Monitor is a device that displays information in pictorial or text form. The visual
and graphics information generated by the computer is shown on the monitor via
the video card.

Printer is a type of output device that prints data on paper. A hard copy is created
when you print something.

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Plotters: is an output device like a printer used to produce highly graphical
pictures or posters.

Speaker is a hardware device that outputs sounds generated by the computer. It

can be used to play music.

2.5. Storage devices

A storage device is used to store data in a computer system. It can store data either
temporarily or permanently. There are two types of storage devices: primary
storage device, and secondary storage device.

Primary storage devices

Primary storage, also known as main memory, is the part of the computer that
stores current data, programs, and instructions that can be accessed by the
processor as needed. There are two common types of primary storage: Random
Access Memory (RAM) and Read Only Memory (ROM)

RAM

RAM: is responsible for storing the instructions and data that the computer is using
at that present moment in time. It is usually described as temporary (volatile)
memory because its contents can be lost when the computer is turned off.

ROM

ROM: refers to computer memory containing permanent data. ROM stays active
regardless of whether a computer is turned on or off.

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The difference between RAM and ROM

S.N RAM ROM

1 Data stored in RAM can be Data stored in ROM
read and written. can only be read.
2 Stores data Stores data
temporarily. permanently.
3 Has high-speed memory Is much slower than
the RAM

Secondary storage

Secondary storage stores data and information permanently. Any non-volatile

storage device, whether internal or external to the computer, is referred to as a
secondary storage device.

Secondary storage devices can be used as input and output devices.

 Hard Disk
 Optical Disk
 USB flash disk
 Secure digital (SD) card

HARD DISK

Is the most common and usually largest data storage device in a computer
system.

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 Figure 2.16: Hard disk images

OPTICAL DISK

Is any computer disk that uses optical and laser technologies to read and write data.
Some examples of optical disk include compact disc (CD) and digital video disc
(DVD). CDs can store up to 700 megabytes (MB) of data and DVDs can store up
to 8.4 GB of data.

Figure 2.18: sample Optical Disk images

USB FLASH DISK

Is used for storage, data back-up and transferring of computer files.

SECURE DIGITAL (SD) CARD

Is a type of removable memory card used to read and write data in a wide variety
of mobile electronics and cameras.

Figure 2.20: Secure digital (SD) card

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 Activity 2.2

 Identify and explain the basic parts of computer hardware with examples.
 Discuss storage devices in group and present the different examples of
primary and secondary storage devices to the class.

Units of data storage measurements: are used to express the size of the data that
is going to be stored in our storage device. The smallest unit used for measuring
data is a bit while a byte is used as the fundamental unit of measurement for data.
Kilobyte (KB), megabyte (MB) and gigabyte (GB) are the commonly used data
measurement units. Bit is a Single Binary Digit (1 or 0).

 One byte = 8 bits

 One kilobyte (KB) = 1,024 Bytes
 One megabyte (MB) = 1,024 Kilobytes
 One gigabyte (GB) = 1,024 Megabytes
 One terabyte (TB) = 1,024 Gigabytes

Summary
 Computer system can be divided into two parts: hardware
and software
 Computer hardware is the physical part of the computer
that you can see and touch
 Hardware can be classified as: input devices, central
processing unit, output devices, and storage devices
 Input device is used to provide data to the computer system
 Common input devices are: keyboard, mouse, scanner,
touch sensitive screen, light pen etc…
 The central processing unit (CPU) is the brain of the
computer which performs all arithmetic, logical and control
operations.
 Output devices are used to communicate and display the
results of processed data to the user.

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  The common output devices are: monitor, printer, plotter
and speaker
 A storage device is used to store data in a computer system

Review Questions
Part I. Write TRUE if the statement is correct and FALSE if
it is incorrect.
1. Secondary storage devices store data and information
permanently.
2. Random Access Memory (RAM) is a permanent form of
storage.
3. Microphone is commonly known as a pointing device, used to
control the position of the cursor on the screen.
4. Control unit monitors the operation of the entire computer
system.
5. Light pen is used to select a displayed menu item or draw
pictures on the monitor screen.
6. The arithmetic logical unit (ALU) is used to store temporary
results.

Part II. Choose the best answer among the given

alternatives.
1. An output device used to listen sound from a computer is:

A. Printer C. Speaker
B. Plotter D. Microphone
2. A secondary storage device that uses optical and laser
technologies to read and write data is:

A. Flash disk C. Hard disk

B. CD D. All
3. Which one of the following is an example of input device?

A. Scanner C. Projector
B. Printer D. Speaker

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4. Parts of the CPU that helps to perform addition is:

A. Arithmetic logic C. Control unit

unit
D. All
B. Register
5. Primary storage used to store data permanently is:

A. ROM C. Hard disk

B. RAM D. CD

Part III. Write the correct answer in the space provided.

1. _______ is an output device, which is used to print highly
graphical information on paper.
2. _____________________is a part of the CPU used to store
temporary results.
3. The storage devices are classified as _________________ and
_______________.
4. Computer systems can be divided into_______________ and
_______________.
5. ___________________allows the user to enter data into the
computer.
6. ___________________ is the brain of the computer.

Part IV. Discuss the following points.

1. Write the difference between input and output devices.
2. List at least three examples of output devices and explain
them.
3. What is the central processing unit (CPU)?
4. Discuss different parts of the CPU.

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