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AP Computer Science Vocabulary Flashcards

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5988901607BitBinary Digit, the single unit of information in a computer.0
5988901608Bit ratethe number of bits that are processed in a unit of time1
5988901609ProtocolA set of rules used for transmitting data.2
5988901610Routera computer designed to receive and redirect packets of information based upon the addressing information (IP address)3
5988901611PacketsSmall chunks of information that have been chunks of information formed from large chunks of information4
5988901612TCP (Transmission Control Protocol)Provides reliable, ordered and error checked delivery stream of packets on the Internet.5
5988901613DNS (Domain Name Service)the service that translates URLs to IP addresses6
5988901614HTTP (Hypertext Transfer Protocol)The protocol used for sending and receiving web pages -ASCII text- based protocol -At the same level as DNS7
5988901615CompressionRepresents the same data using fewer bits8
5988901616Pixelthe fundamental unit of a digital image a) short for picture element b) typically a tiny square or dot which contains a single point of color or larger image9
5988901617Metadatadata that describes other data a) Examples: size of number, number of colors, or resolution (how clear the image is)10
5988901618Internet PacketThe packet contains the data that needs to be sent, but also other data like the to and from address, and packet number.11
5988901619Lossless Compressiona data compression algorithm that allows the original data to be perfectly reconstructed from the compressed data.12
5988901620Lossy Compression(or irreversible compression) a data compression method that uses inexact approximations, discarding some data to represent the content. Most commonly seen in image formats like .jpg.13
5988901621Top Down Design ApproachA design process that begins by specifying complex pieces and then dividing them into smaller pieces.14
5988901622AbstractionPulling out specific differences to make one solution work for multiple problems. -a mental tool that allows us to ignore low-level details when they are unnecessary. -this ability to ignore small details is what allows us to develop complex encodings and protocols.15
5988901623AssumptionThe information collected that gave us a false representation of data.16
5988901624Digital Dividethe gulf between those who have ready access to computers and the Internet, and those who do not.17
5988901625Programming LanguageInstructional "code" where each has a precise, unambiguous meaning.18
5988901626SequencingSequencing is the application of each step of an algorithm in the order in which the statements are given.19
5988901627SelectionSelection uses a [true-false] condition to determine which of two parts of an algorithm is used.20
5988901628IterationIteration is the repetition of a part of an algorithm until a certain condition is met or for a specified number of times. In a computer program, a common form of iterations is a loop, which repeats code to determine values for multiple variables or sometimes just a single variable (adding up multiple values together).21
5988901629AlgorithmA precise sequence of instructions for processes that can be executed only by the computer.22
5988901630Functiona piece of code that you can call over and over again23
5988901631APIa collection of commands made available to a programmer24
5988901632Documentationa description of the behavior of a command, function, library, API, etc.25
5988901633Librarya collection of commands / functions, typically with a shared purpose26
5988901634ParameterAn extra piece of information that you pass to the function to customize it for a specific need.27

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