Quizbank/How things work/Study guide 3

1. The first English-language usage of the word "computer" referred to

___ a) Roman numerals

___ b) a person

___ c) an abacus

___ d) counting rods

2. The Turing machine permitted a solution to the halting problem

___ a) true

___ b) false

3. The Turing machine could not have been invented until after the halting problem was solved.

___ a) true

___ b) false

4. The Turing machine was a(n) ______ device

___ a) electromechanical

___ b) digital

___ c) analog

___ d) conceptual

___ e) prototype

5. This algorithm halts if it starts at 0:
* Add 3
* If the number is divisible by 10, divide by 10
* Stop if the number exceeds 100
* Go to top

___ a) true

___ b) false

6. This algorithm halts if it starts at 0:
* Add 3
* If the number is divisible by 10, add 10
* Stop if the number exceeds 100
* Go to top

___ a) true

___ b) false

7. In London (circa 1935) thousands of vacuum tubes were used to

___ a) calculate the value of π

___ b) count votes in an election

___ c) control a telephone exchange

___ d) control a textile mill

8. The Bombe was a(n) ______________ device used (circa 1940) to defeat the Enigma machine in World War II.}

___ a) Turing-complete

___ b) mechanical

___ c) electric digital programmable

___ d) electromechanical

9. The Colossus, used to defeat the German Enigma machine during World War II in 1944, was

___ a) electric digital programmable

___ b) Turing-complete

___ c) electromechanical

___ d) mechanical

10. The chronological order by which electronic computers advanced is:

___ a) tubes, integrated circuits and then transistors

___ b) transistors, integrated circuits, and then tubes

___ c) tubes, transistors, and then integrated circuits

___ d) integrated circuits, tubes, and then transistors

11. Babbage's account of the origin of the difference engine in the 1820s was that he was working to satisfy the Astronomical Society's desire to improve The Nautical Almanac.

___ a) true

___ b) false

12. Babbage's account of the origin of the difference engine in the 1820s was that he was working to satisfy the Astronomical Society's desire to predict lunar eclipses

___ a) true

___ b) false

13. Babbage's use of punch cards in the 1930s to solve a problem posed by the Astronomical Society was later adopted to the Jacquard loom.

___ a) true

___ b) false

14. Babbage's use of punch cards in the 1930s to solve a problem posed by the Astronomical Society was preceded by such use on the Jacquard loom.

___ a) true

___ b) false

15. A system that uses levers, pulleys, or other mechanical device to perform calculations is called an analog computer

___ a) true

___ b) false

16. A system that uses tables of numbers is called an analog computer

___ a) true

___ b) false

17. Analog computers were phased out by the dawn of the twentieth century (circa 1900)

___ a) true

___ b) false

18. Analog computers continued to be developed into the twentieth century

___ a) true

___ b) false

19. If the machine is at A: 000000, what's next?

___ a) B: 000010

___ b) A: 000010

___ c) A: 000100

___ d) B: 000100

20. If the machine is at B: 000100, what's next?

___ a) B: 000110

___ b) A: 000110

___ c) B: 000110

___ d) A: 001100

21. If the machine is at A: 000110, what's next?

___ a) A: 001110

___ b) A: 000110

___ c) B: 001100

___ d) B: 000110

22. If the machine is at B: 000110 , what's next?

___ a) B: 001110

___ b) A: 001110

___ c) B: 000111

___ d) A: 001110

23. If the machine is at A: 001110, what's next?

___ a) H: 011110

___ b) H: 011110

___ c) B: 011110

___ d) A: 011110

24. If the machine is at B: 011110, what's next?

___ a) B: 011110

___ b) H: 011110

___ c) A: 011110

___ d) H: 011110

25. The ecliptic is the set of all points on the celestial sphere

___ a) occupied by the Sun and Moon during eclipse season.

___ b) occupied by the Moon over the course of one month.

___ c) occupied by the Sun over the course of a year.

___ d) occupied by the Moon over the course of one day.

___ e) occupied by the Sun over the course of one day.

26. Two great circles on a sphere meet at ______ point(s)

___ a) 0

___ b) 3

___ c) 4

___ d) 2

___ e) 1

27. A star in any of the 12 zodiacal constellations rises and sets near where the Sun rises and sets, except that the cycle is repeated every 24 hours minus approximately 4 minutes.

___ a) true

___ b) false

28. Four minutes times 365 is approximately one

___ a) month

___ b) week

___ c) day

___ d) year

29. As the Sun rises and sets it typically spends 4 minutes in each constellation of the Zodiac

___ a) true

___ b) false

30. One minute of arc describes and angle 60 times smaller than one degree, which is NOT equal to the observed angular motion of a star in one minute.

___ a) true

___ b) false

31. One minute of arc describes and angle 60 times smaller than one degree, which nearly equals the observed angular motion of a star in one minute.

___ a) true

___ b) false

32. In the course of a year, the Sun is always in or near one of the 12 zodiacal constellations

___ a) true

___ b) false

33. , calculates that the Sun moves 15

___ a) degrees per day across the sky

___ b) degrees per day compared to the fixed stars

___ c) degrees per hour compared to the fixed stars

___ d) degrees per hour across the sky

34. , calculates that the Moon moves approximately 13 ______

___ a) degrees per hour across the sky

___ b) degrees per day across the sky

___ c) degrees per hour compared to the fixed stars

___ d) degrees per day compared to the fixed stars

35. Saros (or Sar) was the Babylonian word for the Saros cycle.

___ a) true

___ b) false

36. While the Babylonians invented what we call the Saros cycle, they did not call it by that name.

___ a) true

___ b) false

37. Suppose that you see a full moon, but no eclipse. You can be certain that a full moon will also occur exactly one Saros later.

___ a) true

___ b) false

38. The name "saros" (Greek: σαρος) was first given to the eclipse cycle by

___ a) an unknown Babylonian

___ b) Ptolemy (Greek astronomer who lived in Egypt: 90 AD-168 AD)

___ c) Edmond Halley (A friend and colleage of Newton: 1656 AD-1742 AD)

___ d) Hipparchus (Greek astronomer: 190 BC-120 BC)

39. The Saros cycle is 18 years plus either 10.321 or 11.321 days. The reason for the variable number of days has to do with

___ a) leap years

___ b) precession of the equinoxes

___ c) precession of the Moon's orbit

___ d) a wobble in the Moon's orbit

40. If an eclipse occurs, a simlar eclipse will occur at the next Saros(roughly 18 years later). At this eclipse, the ______ will be the same. (Pick the best answer.)

___ a) time of day

___ b) season of the year

___ c) day of the month

41. What is so special about 3 Saros cycles (triple Saros)?

___ a) this eclipse terminates the Saros (and a new Saros number is assigned.)

___ b) this eclipse will occur at the same time of day

___ c) this eclipse will occur at the same day of the month (plus or minus one day)

___ d) this eclipse will occur with the Moon in the same position on the zodiac.

42. What remains nearly the same after a single saros cycle has occured?

___ a) phase of moon and position of sun relative to background stars (i.e. zodiacal location)

___ b) phase of moon and earth-moon distance

___ c) phase of moon and position of moon relative to the background stars (i.e. zodiacal location)

43. Your pet lizard is thirsty every 3 days and hungry every 5 days. If she is both thirsty and hungry today, she will be both thirsty and hungry ____ days later

___ a) 30

___ b) 15

___ c) 5

___ d) 8

44. Your best friend's pet lizard is thirsty every 2 days, hungry every 3 days, and frisky every 5 days. If she is thirsty, hungry, and frisky today, whe will be thirsty, hungry, and frisky _____ days later

___ a) 15

___ b) 40

___ c) 30

___ d) 10

45. Between any given eclipse and the one that occurs one Saros (roughly 18 years) later, there will be approximately ________ lunar and solar eclipses.

___ a) 20

___ b) 40

___ c) 2

___ d) 10

___ e) 1

46. A mechanical analog computer uses pulleys, levers, wheels or some other motion to solve problems of a mathematical nature.

___ a) true

___ b) false

47. As the Sun, Moon, and planets seem to move around the Earth, they remain close to a circle, called the ecliptic, that can be drawn on paper or imagined in the sky. The Babylonians divided this circle into 12 equal sections of 30 degrees each, and labeled the sections after the zodiacal constellations.

___ a) true

___ b) false

48. As the Sun, Moon, and planets seem to move around the Earth, they remain close to a circle, called the ecliptic, that can be drawn on paper or imagined in the sky. The Babylonians divided this circle into 12 unequal sections of approximately 30 degrees each, and labeled the sections after the zodiacal constellations.

___ a) true

___ b) false

49. Sothic calendar was an Egyptian calendar with twelve months of 30 days plus five intercalary days to keep the year synchronous with the four seasons. }

___ a) true

___ b) false

50. Sothic calendar was an Egyptian calendar with twelve months of 30 days plus five intercalary days to keep the year synchronous with the Saros cycle.}

___ a) true

___ b) false

51. Sothic calendar was an Egyptian calendar with twelve months of 30 days plus five intercalary days to keep the year synchronous with the Lunar phases.}

___ a) true

___ b) false

52. The Sothic calendar of 365 days did not include an extra day every four years. As a consequence, it advanced by _____ days in 12 years

___ a) 4

___ b) 3

___ c) 2

___ d) 1

53. The Sothic calendar of 365 days did not include an extra day every four years. As a consequence, it advanced by _____ days in 8 years

___ a) 2

___ b) 3

___ c) 1

___ d) 4

54. The months of the Antikythera device are labeled with Egyptian names transcribed into Greek

___ a) true

___ b) false

55. The months of the Antikythera device are labeled with Greek names transcribed into Egyptian hieroglyphs.

___ a) true

___ b) false

56. Eclipse seasons last for approximately ______ and repeat just short of ______}

___ a) six months;   18 years

___ b) one month;   18 years

___ c) 34 days;   six months

___ d) six months;   54 years

___ e) 7 days;   one month

57. How many years did it take before Europe made a device as sophisticated as the Antikythera mechanism?

___ a)15,000 years

___ b)30 years

___ c)1500 years

___ d)3000 years

___ e)300 years

58.

A ____________ is a gear which has teeth that projects at right angles to the face of the wheel.

___ a) epicycle gear

___ b) crown gear

___ c) spiral bevel gear

59. Evidence suggests that it was not possible to set the Antikythera device without referring to a written table to ascertain the dial settings for a given date.

___ a) true

___ b) false

60. How did the Antikythera mechanism compensate for leap years?

___ a) Two concentric dials were independently adjusted by hand; one dial marked a 365 day calendar, and the other marked the position of the Sun with respect to the ecliptic.

___ b) There was no need to compensate for the leap year because the Sothic calendar included a leap year every four years.

___ c) Two concentric dials were independently adjusted by a differential gear; one dial marked a 365 day calendar, and the other marked the position of the Sun with respect to the ecliptic.

61. The Antikythera device was dated to approximately

___ a) 300-350 AD

___ b) 300-350 BC

___ c) 100-150 BC

___ d) 500-550 BC

62. The Antikythera wreck was situated closer to Rome than to Greece.

___ a) true

___ b) false

63. The Antikythera wreck was discovered by _________ in ________.

___ a) sponge divers;   1900

___ b) Jacques-Yves Cousteau;   1976

64. What clue is cited to suggest that the Antikythera device was not the first of its kind?

___ a) The quality of its manufacture.

___ b) Instructions for making other devices were found at the wreck site.

___ c) Other boxes in the wreck seemed to have held similar devices.

___ d) Chemical analysis of the bronze.

65. Bronze is an alloy consisting primarily of ______, with other metals included ______

___ a) copper;   to make it hard.

___ b) copper;   to make it withstand corrosion.

___ c) iron;   as impurities that served little or no purpose.

___ d) copper;   as impurities that served little or no purpose.

66. Chemical analysis of the bronze used in the gears of the Antikythera device

___ a) was not possible due to the degree of corrosion.

___ b) suggested that Roman technology was used.

___ c) suggested that a number of such devices had been produced.

___ d) suggested that Greek technology was used.

67. Which of the following was NOT used as evidence in an effort to guess where the Antikythera device originated?

___ a) Coins at the site seemed to originate from Pergamon, where an important library was situated.

___ b) The Library of Alexandria, where Ptolemy would later work, would have been a likely destination or origin for the ship.

___ c) Some of the astronomical events associated with the device could have only have been seen from Corinth, a region associated with Archimedes.

___ d) Vases found at the site suggest an origin near the trading port of Rhodes, where Hipparchus was believed to have worked.

1. The first English-language usage of the word "computer" referred to

- a) Roman numerals

+ b) a person

- c) an abacus

- d) counting rods

2. The Turing machine permitted a solution to the halting problem

+ a) true

- b) false

3. The Turing machine could not have been invented until after the halting problem was solved.

- a) true

+ b) false

4. The Turing machine was a(n) ______ device

- a) electromechanical

- b) digital

- c) analog

+ d) conceptual

- e) prototype

5. This algorithm halts if it starts at 0:
* Add 3
* If the number is divisible by 10, divide by 10
* Stop if the number exceeds 100
* Go to top

- a) true

+ b) false

6. This algorithm halts if it starts at 0:
* Add 3
* If the number is divisible by 10, add 10
* Stop if the number exceeds 100
* Go to top

+ a) true

- b) false

7. In London (circa 1935) thousands of vacuum tubes were used to

- a) calculate the value of π

- b) count votes in an election

+ c) control a telephone exchange

- d) control a textile mill

8. The Bombe was a(n) ______________ device used (circa 1940) to defeat the Enigma machine in World War II.}

- a) Turing-complete

- b) mechanical

- c) electric digital programmable

+ d) electromechanical

9. The Colossus, used to defeat the German Enigma machine during World War II in 1944, was

+ a) electric digital programmable

- b) Turing-complete

- c) electromechanical

- d) mechanical

10. The chronological order by which electronic computers advanced is:

- a) tubes, integrated circuits and then transistors

- b) transistors, integrated circuits, and then tubes

+ c) tubes, transistors, and then integrated circuits

- d) integrated circuits, tubes, and then transistors

11. Babbage's account of the origin of the difference engine in the 1820s was that he was working to satisfy the Astronomical Society's desire to improve The Nautical Almanac.

+ a) true

- b) false

12. Babbage's account of the origin of the difference engine in the 1820s was that he was working to satisfy the Astronomical Society's desire to predict lunar eclipses

- a) true

+ b) false

13. Babbage's use of punch cards in the 1930s to solve a problem posed by the Astronomical Society was later adopted to the Jacquard loom.

- a) true

+ b) false

14. Babbage's use of punch cards in the 1930s to solve a problem posed by the Astronomical Society was preceded by such use on the Jacquard loom.

+ a) true

- b) false

15. A system that uses levers, pulleys, or other mechanical device to perform calculations is called an analog computer

+ a) true

- b) false

16. A system that uses tables of numbers is called an analog computer

- a) true

+ b) false

17. Analog computers were phased out by the dawn of the twentieth century (circa 1900)

- a) true

+ b) false

18. Analog computers continued to be developed into the twentieth century

+ a) true

- b) false

19. If the machine is at A: 000000, what's next?

- a) B: 000010

- b) A: 000010

- c) A: 000100

+ d) B: 000100

20. If the machine is at B: 000100, what's next?

- a) B: 000110

+ b) A: 000110

- c) B: 000110

- d) A: 001100

21. If the machine is at A: 000110, what's next?

- a) A: 001110

- b) A: 000110

- c) B: 001100

+ d) B: 000110

22. If the machine is at B: 000110 , what's next?

- a) B: 001110

- b) A: 001110

- c) B: 000111

+ d) A: 001110

23. If the machine is at A: 001110, what's next?

- a) H: 011110

- b) H: 011110

+ c) B: 011110

- d) A: 011110

24. If the machine is at B: 011110, what's next?

- a) B: 011110

- b) H: 011110

- c) A: 011110

+ d) H: 011110

25. The ecliptic is the set of all points on the celestial sphere

- a) occupied by the Sun and Moon during eclipse season.

- b) occupied by the Moon over the course of one month.

+ c) occupied by the Sun over the course of a year.

- d) occupied by the Moon over the course of one day.

- e) occupied by the Sun over the course of one day.

26. Two great circles on a sphere meet at ______ point(s)

- a) 0

- b) 3

- c) 4

+ d) 2

- e) 1

27. A star in any of the 12 zodiacal constellations rises and sets near where the Sun rises and sets, except that the cycle is repeated every 24 hours minus approximately 4 minutes.

+ a) true

- b) false

28. Four minutes times 365 is approximately one

- a) month

- b) week

+ c) day

- d) year

29. As the Sun rises and sets it typically spends 4 minutes in each constellation of the Zodiac

- a) true

+ b) false

30. One minute of arc describes and angle 60 times smaller than one degree, which is NOT equal to the observed angular motion of a star in one minute.

+ a) true

- b) false

31. One minute of arc describes and angle 60 times smaller than one degree, which nearly equals the observed angular motion of a star in one minute.

- a) true

+ b) false

32. In the course of a year, the Sun is always in or near one of the 12 zodiacal constellations

+ a) true

- b) false

33. , calculates that the Sun moves 15

- a) degrees per day across the sky

- b) degrees per day compared to the fixed stars

- c) degrees per hour compared to the fixed stars

+ d) degrees per hour across the sky

34. , calculates that the Moon moves approximately 13 ______

- a) degrees per hour across the sky

- b) degrees per day across the sky

- c) degrees per hour compared to the fixed stars

+ d) degrees per day compared to the fixed stars

35. Saros (or Sar) was the Babylonian word for the Saros cycle.

- a) true

+ b) false

36. While the Babylonians invented what we call the Saros cycle, they did not call it by that name.

+ a) true

- b) false

37. Suppose that you see a full moon, but no eclipse. You can be certain that a full moon will also occur exactly one Saros later.

+ a) true

- b) false

38. The name "saros" (Greek: σαρος) was first given to the eclipse cycle by

- a) an unknown Babylonian

- b) Ptolemy (Greek astronomer who lived in Egypt: 90 AD-168 AD)

+ c) Edmond Halley (A friend and colleage of Newton: 1656 AD-1742 AD)

- d) Hipparchus (Greek astronomer: 190 BC-120 BC)

39. The Saros cycle is 18 years plus either 10.321 or 11.321 days. The reason for the variable number of days has to do with

+ a) leap years

- b) precession of the equinoxes

- c) precession of the Moon's orbit

- d) a wobble in the Moon's orbit

40. If an eclipse occurs, a simlar eclipse will occur at the next Saros(roughly 18 years later). At this eclipse, the ______ will be the same. (Pick the best answer.)

- a) time of day

+ b) season of the year

- c) day of the month

41. What is so special about 3 Saros cycles (triple Saros)?

- a) this eclipse terminates the Saros (and a new Saros number is assigned.)

+ b) this eclipse will occur at the same time of day

- c) this eclipse will occur at the same day of the month (plus or minus one day)

- d) this eclipse will occur with the Moon in the same position on the zodiac.

42. What remains nearly the same after a single saros cycle has occured?

- a) phase of moon and position of sun relative to background stars (i.e. zodiacal location)

+ b) phase of moon and earth-moon distance

- c) phase of moon and position of moon relative to the background stars (i.e. zodiacal location)

43. Your pet lizard is thirsty every 3 days and hungry every 5 days. If she is both thirsty and hungry today, she will be both thirsty and hungry ____ days later

- a) 30

+ b) 15

- c) 5

- d) 8

44. Your best friend's pet lizard is thirsty every 2 days, hungry every 3 days, and frisky every 5 days. If she is thirsty, hungry, and frisky today, whe will be thirsty, hungry, and frisky _____ days later

- a) 15

- b) 40

+ c) 30

- d) 10

45. Between any given eclipse and the one that occurs one Saros (roughly 18 years) later, there will be approximately ________ lunar and solar eclipses.

- a) 20

+ b) 40

- c) 2

- d) 10

- e) 1

46. A mechanical analog computer uses pulleys, levers, wheels or some other motion to solve problems of a mathematical nature.

+ a) true

- b) false

47. As the Sun, Moon, and planets seem to move around the Earth, they remain close to a circle, called the ecliptic, that can be drawn on paper or imagined in the sky. The Babylonians divided this circle into 12 equal sections of 30 degrees each, and labeled the sections after the zodiacal constellations.

+ a) true

- b) false

48. As the Sun, Moon, and planets seem to move around the Earth, they remain close to a circle, called the ecliptic, that can be drawn on paper or imagined in the sky. The Babylonians divided this circle into 12 unequal sections of approximately 30 degrees each, and labeled the sections after the zodiacal constellations.

- a) true

+ b) false

49. Sothic calendar was an Egyptian calendar with twelve months of 30 days plus five intercalary days to keep the year synchronous with the four seasons. }

+ a) true

- b) false

50. Sothic calendar was an Egyptian calendar with twelve months of 30 days plus five intercalary days to keep the year synchronous with the Saros cycle.}

- a) true

+ b) false

51. Sothic calendar was an Egyptian calendar with twelve months of 30 days plus five intercalary days to keep the year synchronous with the Lunar phases.}

- a) true

+ b) false

52. The Sothic calendar of 365 days did not include an extra day every four years. As a consequence, it advanced by _____ days in 12 years

- a) 4

+ b) 3

- c) 2

- d) 1

53. The Sothic calendar of 365 days did not include an extra day every four years. As a consequence, it advanced by _____ days in 8 years

+ a) 2

- b) 3

- c) 1

- d) 4

54. The months of the Antikythera device are labeled with Egyptian names transcribed into Greek

+ a) true

- b) false

55. The months of the Antikythera device are labeled with Greek names transcribed into Egyptian hieroglyphs.

- a) true

+ b) false

56. Eclipse seasons last for approximately ______ and repeat just short of ______}

- a) six months;   18 years

- b) one month;   18 years

+ c) 34 days;   six months

- d) six months;   54 years

- e) 7 days;   one month

57. How many years did it take before Europe made a device as sophisticated as the Antikythera mechanism?

- a)15,000 years

- b)30 years

+ c)1500 years

- d)3000 years

- e)300 years

58.

A ____________ is a gear which has teeth that projects at right angles to the face of the wheel.

- a) epicycle gear

+ b) crown gear

- c) spiral bevel gear

59. Evidence suggests that it was not possible to set the Antikythera device without referring to a written table to ascertain the dial settings for a given date.

+ a) true

- b) false

60. How did the Antikythera mechanism compensate for leap years?

+ a) Two concentric dials were independently adjusted by hand; one dial marked a 365 day calendar, and the other marked the position of the Sun with respect to the ecliptic.

- b) There was no need to compensate for the leap year because the Sothic calendar included a leap year every four years.

- c) Two concentric dials were independently adjusted by a differential gear; one dial marked a 365 day calendar, and the other marked the position of the Sun with respect to the ecliptic.

61. The Antikythera device was dated to approximately

- a) 300-350 AD

- b) 300-350 BC

+ c) 100-150 BC

- d) 500-550 BC

62. The Antikythera wreck was situated closer to Rome than to Greece.

- a) true

+ b) false

63. The Antikythera wreck was discovered by _________ in ________.

+ a) sponge divers;   1900

- b) Jacques-Yves Cousteau;   1976

64. What clue is cited to suggest that the Antikythera device was not the first of its kind?

+ a) The quality of its manufacture.

- b) Instructions for making other devices were found at the wreck site.

- c) Other boxes in the wreck seemed to have held similar devices.

- d) Chemical analysis of the bronze.

65. Bronze is an alloy consisting primarily of ______, with other metals included ______

+ a) copper;   to make it hard.

- b) copper;   to make it withstand corrosion.

- c) iron;   as impurities that served little or no purpose.

- d) copper;   as impurities that served little or no purpose.

66. Chemical analysis of the bronze used in the gears of the Antikythera device

+ a) was not possible due to the degree of corrosion.

- b) suggested that Roman technology was used.

- c) suggested that a number of such devices had been produced.

- d) suggested that Greek technology was used.

67. Which of the following was NOT used as evidence in an effort to guess where the Antikythera device originated?

- a) Coins at the site seemed to originate from Pergamon, where an important library was situated.

+ b) The Library of Alexandria, where Ptolemy would later work, would have been a likely destination or origin for the ship.

- c) Some of the astronomical events associated with the device could have only have been seen from Corinth, a region associated with Archimedes.

- d) Vases found at the site suggest an origin near the trading port of Rhodes, where Hipparchus was believed to have worked.