Inside the Box: Input, Processing, Storage and Output · seed 1 · A4, ink-friendly. The answer key prints on its own page for grown-ups.

Four jobs inside every computer

Computing · Computing Fundamentals · ages 12-13
Name ______________________   Date ____________

  1. Which part does the processing work?

    • The chip
    • The mouse
    • The headphones

  2. Which part takes data into the computer?

    • The speaker
    • The keyboard
    • The printer

  3. The power dies suddenly. Which holder loses its data?

    • Storage
    • The printed page
    • Memory

  4. You take a photo and edit it, then the battery dies before saving. The photo is gone. Why?

    • The photo sat in memory, which forgets without power
    • The camera lens broke
    • The screen ate the photo

  5. Sort these parts of a self-checkout: scanner, chip, drive, speaker. Which order fits input, processing, storage, output?

    • Speaker, drive, chip, scanner
    • Scanner, chip, drive, speaker
    • Chip, scanner, speaker, drive

  6. A microphone is an output device because sound comes out of your mouth.

    Circle one:   True   False

  7. A friend says a USB stick and memory are the same because both hold data. What is the sharpest reply?

    • They are the same, the friend is right
    • Pull the power: the stick keeps files, memory forgets, so the jobs differ
    • Memory is bigger, so it wins

  8. A washing machine controller reads the dial, picks a cycle, remembers the setting during a blackout, and beeps at the end. Which claim about it is true?

    • It has no input because it has no keyboard
    • The dial is input, the chip processes, storage survives the blackout, the beep is output
    • The beep is storage because you remember it
LightMySky · lightmysky.comW1-mt_Oms8067Pnm-s1

Answer key

For grown-ups. Fold this page away before handing over the rest.

Four jobs inside every computer W1-mt_Oms8067Pnm-s1

  1. The chip · The chip works on data, following program instructions step by step.
  2. The keyboard · The keyboard carries your presses in, so it is input.
  3. Memory · Memory needs power to remember, while storage keeps files without it.
  4. The photo sat in memory, which forgets without power · Unsaved work lives in memory, and memory forgets when power dies.
  5. Scanner, chip, drive, speaker · The scanner takes in, the chip works, the drive keeps, the speaker sends out.
  6. False · The microphone carries sound into the computer, so it is input.
  7. Pull the power: the stick keeps files, memory forgets, so the jobs differ · The power-loss test splits them: storage keeps, memory forgets.
  8. The dial is input, the chip processes, storage survives the blackout, the beep is output · Dials and sensors take in, the chip works, storage survives power loss, and the beep sends out.
Worksheet · LightMySky