AP Notes, Outlines, Study Guides, Vocabulary, Practice Exams and more!

AP Computer Science Vocabulary Flashcards

Terms : Hide Images
5584862804BitBinary Digit, the single unit of information in a computer.0
5584867429Bit ratethe number of bits that are processed in a unit of time1
5584870998ProtocolA set of rules used for transmitting data.2
5584874530Routera computer designed to receive and redirect packets of information based upon the addressing information (IP address)3
5584878205PacketsSmall chunks of information that have been chunks of information formed from large chunks of information4
5584885049TCP (Transmission Control Protocol)Provides reliable, ordered and error checked delivery stream of packets on the Internet.5
5584892446DNS (Domain Name Service)the service that translates URLs to IP addresses6
5584896511HTTP (Hypertext Transfer Protocol)The protocol used for sending and receiving web pages -ASCII text- based protocol -At the same level as DNS7
5584901195CompressionRepresents the same data using fewer bits8
5584907780Pixelthe 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
5584910718Metadatadata that describes other data a) Examples: size of number, number of colors, or resolution (how clear the image is)10
5584919512Internet PacketThe packet contains the data that needs to be sent, but also other data like the to and from address, and packet number.11
5584921799Lossless Compressiona data compression algorithm that allows the original data to be perfectly reconstructed from the compressed data.12
5584926238Lossy 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
5584932266Top Down Design ApproachA design process that begins by specifying complex pieces and then dividing them into smaller pieces.14
5584942238AbstractionPulling 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
5584950380AssumptionThe information collected that gave us a false representation of data.16
5584954624Digital Dividethe gulf between those who have ready access to computers and the Internet, and those who do not.17
5584959899Programming LanguageInstructional "code" where each has a precise, unambiguous meaning.18
5584964243SequencingSequencing is the application of each step of an algorithm in the order in which the statements are given.19
5584968180SelectionSelection uses a [true-false] condition to determine which of two parts of an algorithm is used.20
5584971503IterationIteration 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
5584974927AlgorithmA precise sequence of instructions for processes that can be executed only by the computer.22
5631333369Functiona piece of code that you can call over and over again23
5631341915APIa collection of commands made available to a programmer24
5631347378Documentationa description of the behavior of a command, function, library, API, etc.25
5631349575Librarya collection of commands / functions, typically with a shared purpose26
5631433773ParameterAn extra piece of information that you pass to the function to customize it for a specific need.27

Need Help?

We hope your visit has been a productive one. If you're having any problems, or would like to give some feedback, we'd love to hear from you.

For general help, questions, and suggestions, try our dedicated support forums.

If you need to contact the Course-Notes.Org web experience team, please use our contact form.

Need Notes?

While we strive to provide the most comprehensive notes for as many high school textbooks as possible, there are certainly going to be some that we miss. Drop us a note and let us know which textbooks you need. Be sure to include which edition of the textbook you are using! If we see enough demand, we'll do whatever we can to get those notes up on the site for you!