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RAM
Ordinary RAM loses its contents without power.
Class 6 · English Medium · Cambridge · ICT
Digital devices and computer systems
Explain how a computer accepts input, processes data and stores results.
Shared cross-level core and stretch unit. Start with the core questions, then use the stretch example for deeper work. The same unit is available in related class and board pathways; it is not a full grade-specific or examination-specification course. A teacher should select the appropriate depth and further topics.
Learn the idea
Hardware is physical equipment; software supplies instructions. A processor executes instructions using memory. RAM holds working data and is normally volatile, while persistent storage keeps files after power is removed. A useful description follows the data through a system rather than listing component names alone.
Worked example
In a temperature logger, a sensor supplies a reading, software compares it with a limit, and a file stores the result. A screen or buzzer is an output. The device needs a plan for power failure and invalid readings.
- Identify input, processing, storage and output.
- Explain a component’s role.
- Consider failure and recovery.
Stretch example
In a stored-program model, instructions and data reside in memory. A fetch-decode-execute cycle is a simplified explanation; modern processors overlap and optimise operations, so the diagram is not a literal timing trace of every machine.
Your written practice
Show your working on paper and enter your answer here. If it does not match, compare the model and try again.
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input
It supplies user actions to the system.
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8
A byte is eight bits in this context.
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Storage capacity and instruction-processing performance describe different properties.
Avoid treating capacity as speed.
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Input is a sensor reading; reject or flag values outside the sensor’s supported range.
Connect the rule to a realistic data limit.
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10
8 + 2 = 10.
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More frequent samples preserve shorter changes but generate more data and may use more power.
Connect the choice to requirements.
System diagram
Design a fictional classroom logger on paper.
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- Label the data flow.
- Specify persistent and working storage.
- Add a failure or invalid-input response.
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