Definitions of Computer Terms for Kids
Children know computers from experience but they don't always know the terms used in talking about them.
Other People Are Reading
-
Thinking Machines
-
They're everywhere! A computer is an electronic machine that stores data (information) to work with and gives out the results. All computers are made up of hardware---the machine itself, and software---the instructions that tell it what to do.
Counting to two
-
Even pictures are binary. Digital computers use binary code, a way of writing numbers using just zeros and ones, to store and work with the data. Even if the software is written in words the computer translates it into binary code.
-
Inside the Box
-
The electronic parts inside the computer are made up of on-off switches called transistors. Each one or zero is called a bit and a set of bits that make a computer's "word" is called a byte. A megabyte is 1-million bytes.
Outside the Box
-
Peripherals are what you need to talk to your computer. Computers "talk" to each other on a network using a modem, one of the pieces of hardware called a peripheral because it is not a central part of the computer. The monitor, or screen, keyboard and the mouse are also peripherals.
Computer Chores
-
Disks may come and go, but software is forever Software, such as word processors, spreadsheets and databases, has become a part of everyday life. Word processors are like super-typewriters, spreadsheets are super-calculators that can do lots more than just arithmetic, and databases store lists of things and sort them into different categories.
-
References
Resources
- Photo Credit Image by Flickr.com, courtesy of Mads Bødker Image by Flickr.com, courtesy of Aldo Gonzalez Image by Flickr.com, courtesy of Brandon Baunach Image by Flickr.com, courtesy of Blake Patterson Image by Flickr.com, courtesy of Roger Schultz
