Computer Storage
11 Grade 10 Computer Studies questions on Computer Storage, with worked marking schemes. 11 questions are available on this topic in full.
Question 1
1 markA livestock extension officer records data on a laptop while travelling on rough roads in Turkana. Why is a solid state drive more suitable for this work than a hard disk drive?
A. It can be read directly by any mobile phone
B. It keeps its contents without ever needing electricity at any stage
C. It has no moving parts, so it withstands knocks and vibration
D. It always stores more data than any hard disk drive
(1 mark)
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3 marksOutline three precautions a learner should take when handling optical discs and flash disks so that the stored data is not lost.
(3 marks)
Marking scheme
Award 1 mark for each valid precaution, maximum 3. - Hold an optical disc by the edges or the centre hole and avoid touching or scratching the recording surface (1). - Keep the media away from direct sunlight, heat and moisture (1). - Keep the media away from strong magnetic fields, for example loudspeakers or motors (1). - Use the 'safely remove hardware' option before pulling out a flash disk, so that writing is complete (1). - Store discs in their sleeves or cases and flash disks with their caps on, to keep out dust (1). - Scan the media for viruses before opening files, especially after use in a cyber café (1). - Do not bend, drop or place heavy objects on the media (1).
Question 3
1 markWhen a computer in the school laboratory is switched on, the very first instructions it executes, which start the machine and begin loading the operating system, are held in:
A. the hard disk
B. ROM
C. cache memory
D. RAM
(1 mark)
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1 markWhich storage medium records data by using a laser beam to create pits on a reflective surface?
A. Flash disk
B. Magnetic tape
C. Hard disk
D. DVD
(1 mark)
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1 markData held on magnetic tape must be read:
A. in any order, by jumping straight to the required record
B. one record after another, starting from the beginning of the tape
C. only after the tape has first been copied onto an optical disc
D. only once, because the act of reading erases the tape
(1 mark)
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4 marksOutline two advantages and two disadvantages of storing a school's examination data in cloud storage.
(4 marks)
Marking scheme
Award 1 mark for each valid point: two advantages and two disadvantages, 4 marks in total. Do not award more than 2 marks for advantages or more than 2 for disadvantages. Advantages (any two): - The data is kept off-site, so it survives fire, theft or flooding at the school (1). - Authorised staff can reach the data from any place and device with internet access (1). - Storage space can be increased as the records grow, without buying new hardware (1). - The service provider handles backups and maintenance of the equipment (1). Disadvantages (any two): - Access depends entirely on an internet connection, which may be slow or unavailable (1). - Ongoing subscription and data bundle costs must be paid year after year (1). - Confidential learner data is held by an outside company, raising privacy concerns (1). - If the account password is stolen or the provider is attacked, the data may be exposed or lost (1).
Question 7
6 marksA school keeps its learner records, financial records and examination results on one desktop computer in the deputy principal's office. Explain three factors the school should consider when choosing a medium on which to back up this data.
(6 marks)
Marking scheme
Award 1 mark for each factor named and 1 mark for a valid explanation. Maximum three factors, 6 marks. - Storage capacity (1) – the medium must be large enough to hold all the records, and to hold them again as the data grows each year (1). - Cost (1) – the school works on a limited budget, so the cost of the medium and of any subscription must be weighed against the value of the data (1). - Security of the data (1) – the records are confidential, so the medium should support a password or encryption and be kept under lock and key (1). - Reliability and durability (1) – the medium must not corrupt easily in a dusty or humid office, because a backup that fails when needed is useless (1). - Portability / possibility of off-site storage (1) – a copy kept away from the school survives fire, flooding or theft at the school (1). - Speed of writing and of restoring (1) – the backup should be completed without tying up the office computer for hours, and data should be recoverable quickly when needed (1). - Availability of a suitable drive or internet connection (1) – there is no point choosing a medium the school cannot read back, for example cloud storage where the internet is unreliable (1).
Question 8
1 markA school wants to archive its examination results on an optical disc in such a way that the records can be read in future but cannot be altered or deleted. Which medium should it use?
A. A flash disk
B. DVD-RW
C. CD-RW
D. CD-R
(1 mark)
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3 marksA school photography club stores its pictures on a 16 GB memory card. Each photograph occupies 4 MB. Taking 1 GB to be 1024 MB, calculate the maximum number of photographs that can be stored on the card. Show your working.
(3 marks)
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3 marksA Grade 10 learner is typing a project report in the school computer laboratory. Explain why the teacher insists that the learner saves the work every few minutes.
(3 marks)
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1 markCache memory improves the performance of a computer because:
A. it stores data permanently even when the power is switched off
B. it holds frequently used instructions and data where the CPU can fetch them very quickly
C. it removes the need for RAM in modern computers
D. it increases the total amount of secondary storage available to the user
(1 mark)
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