Mr.

Mahmoud Moussa IGCSE ICT 0983

Homework #02 - Questions

Chapter 02 Input and Output Devices Question
01:
Identify three items of data contained in the chip on a bank card.
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PIN Number, The card expiry date, Card Number
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Question 02:
When a book is borrowed the borrower presents the book and library card to the librarian.
Discuss the advantages and disadvantages of different input devices which could be used by
the librarian.

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the librarian can use barcode reader and it will be a faster and an easier process then using a
keyboard and it has a greater accuracy as humans can make typing mistakes, it can save time and
energy. But the code can be damaged easily, and the bar code reader won’t be able to read it,
another disadvantage is that the bar code reader could be pretty expensive
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Question 03:
When surgeons operate on patients, they sometimes need to use computers. Give two reasons
why they would use a light pen as an input device.
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More accurate and easier to use technology
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Question 04:
Describe four advantages that the use of chip and pin systems have over a magnetic stripe
system.
1……Chips are more robust than magnetic strips
2……Data more difficult to copy on the chip
3……larger amount of information can be stored on the chip
4……More secure system (PIN type in must match up with PIN stored on chip)
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Question 05:
Discuss why different user interfaces require the use of different types of input device.
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CLI is getting typed in word by word, so keyboard is a must as it has every thing required to help
the people who use CLI. But on the GUI
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Question 06:
Computers are used to manage data in schools. Name the different methods used to input
personal data about students and their attendance and discuss the advantages and
disadvantages of these.

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We can type in by using the keyboard or using barcode reader and maybe also magnetic strip reader
and they are all more accurate then keyboard and magnetic strip reader is faster
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Question 07:
Give one advantage and one disadvantage of using RFID than barcode reader

Advantages:

………longer distance………………………………………
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Disadvantages

………more expensive…………………………………………………………
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Question 08:
The system currently uses bar codes to read the data on the medicine packets as well as the
shelf that the medicine packets are located on. The hospital is considering using embedded

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Mr. Mahmoud Moussa IGCSE ICT 0983

RFID chips in the packaging rather than bar codes. Explain the advantages of using RFID
chips in this scenario.
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It can be used from a distance and that can prevent spread of virus and it is more easier to use then a
barcode reader
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Question 09:
Describe Quick response (QR) codes
……it has hold of over 7000 digits and its a type of barcode reader…………………………
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Question 10:
An airport uses Quick response (QR) codes to advertise local places of interest. Describe how
a visitor landing at the airport could use these barcodes to help plan their visit.
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It will tell them the instructions or after scanning it will send them to a website that will lead them
to where they want to go and the rules and get easier contact with staff
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Question 11:
Describe the differences between a barcode and a Quick Response (QR) code.
…barcode are made of lines and QR are made of squares a barcode has a 1D structure and a QR
code has 2D structure as ell as barcode is used more often in supermarkets and QR code is used
more between people as they can use their phone camera
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Question 12:
Compare and contrast the use of RFID chips with bar codes
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Mr. Mahmoud Moussa IGCSE ICT 0983

Both are direct data entry systems, Both are used to communicate with the reader
RFID can be used from a greater distance and barcode has to line up with the lines
and is used mostly I the supermarket and often in other shopping stuff, but RFID is
used in car keys to unlock the car from a farther distance and
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Question 13:
A school is going to introduce an automatic registration system controlled by computer.
Students will carry a card which will be read automatically by an input device every session
so that the school office will know that they are present. Instead of using this system the
school ICT teacher suggests using student fingerprints. Describe two advantages and two
disadvantages of such a system.

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That will provide more accuracy and faster registration which will save time a normal registration
would take+ students could lose their cards.

The disadvantages are that it can be agenst the students privacy and it will be expensive or to repair
that
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Question 14:

OMR, OCR and MICR are methods of direct data entry. Describe each method, giving an
example of an application where each might be used.

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Mr. Mahmoud Moussa IGCSE ICT 0983

OMR
……… Optical mark recognition is the process of capturing human-marked data from
document forms such as surveys and tests ………………………………………
OCR
OCR service allows you to convert PDF document to MS Word file, scanned images to editable text
formats and extract text from PDF files.

MICR
the line of numbers that appears at the bottom of a check. The MICR line is a group of
three numbers, which are the check number, account number, and bank routing number.
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Question 15:
Bank cheques are usually read using Magnetic Ink Character Recognition (MICR). Recent
developments mean that cheques can now be photographed by a smartphone and processed
using Optical Character Recognition (OCR). Discuss the advantages and disadvantages of
using MICR rather than OCR for reading cheques.
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It could be more secure, it cant be read electronically after being photocopied, more accurate in the
readings

But it More expensive to produce the writing and it has Limited number of characters, and finally it
Requires a specialist reader which are expensive
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Question 16:
A student exam answer sheet consists of boxes or lozenges which the student shades in to
indicate their choice of answer. Apart from the details of the test and the lozenges, give two
items of information, essential to the student, that are pre-printed on the answer sheet.

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Mr. Mahmoud Moussa IGCSE ICT 0983

date of birth, student name, Instructions on how to complete the form, Question numbers, Centre
number, Centre name
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Describe how Optical Mark Recognition is used to process the details from the form.

Dedicated scanner device shines a beam of light onto the form, Light is reflected back to sensors,
Marks reflect less light so sensors used to identify position of marks
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Describe the drawbacks of using Optical Mark Recognition.
If the marks don't fill the space completely they may not be read correctly, If the marks are not in a
dark enough pencil they may not be read correctly, If more than one lozenge shaded in result is
invalidated, Only suitable for recording one out of a selection of answers, not suitable for text input
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Question 17:
When a bank cheque is presented to a bank it is sent off to a cheque clearing centre. Give
three items of information that are pre-printed on the cheque in magnetic ink.
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……Cheque number ………Bank sort code ……………… Account number…………………
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Describe how MICR is used to read these details from the cheque.

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Requires a special Magnetic Ink Character reader are scanned …Each character produces a unique
signal which is read and translated by the MIC reader………………………
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Explain why magnetic ink is used rather than bar codes on a cheque.

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…………More difficult to forge……………………………………………………………………
……………………Information is human readable………………………………………………
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Question 18:

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Mr. Mahmoud Moussa IGCSE ICT 0983

A customer uses a bank card to purchase a product at a supermarket checkout. The checkout
operator uses a number of devices to input data about the customer and the product. Identify
four of these input devices and for each one describe a different item of data that will be
input.

Device 1:
………………………Chip Reader……………………………………………
Data:
………………………Credit card account information…………………………………
Device 2:

……………………Bar Code Reader………………………………………………………

Data:
……………………Information from a product label ………………………………………

Device 3:

…………………Electronic scales …………………………………………………

Data:

……………………………Weight of an item………………………………

Device 4:

……………………Number pad ……………………………………………

Data:

…………………Bar code number when bar code reader cannot read bar code…………………

Question 19:
Johann is going on holiday to a different country. He will need to take his passport. He has a
new type of passport which has an RFID chip in it. He will be passing through automated
passport control gates. Describe what an RFID chip consists of.
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Mr. Mahmoud Moussa IGCSE ICT 0983

Describe how RFID will be used as he passes through passport control.

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Question 20:
In certain countries, the RFID chip in a passport is scanned when the passport is presented at
an automated passport control gate. Give three items of information about the passport
holder that are stored on the RFID chip.
……………………………Name, Passport number, Date of birth, Place of birth
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Describe how RFID technology reads the details from the chip.

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The chip is presented near a computer with a radio-frequency scanner, The scanning antenna puts
out radio-frequency signals in a relatively short range.
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Explain why RFID technology is used for reading data from passports.
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More secure than a traditional passport as biometric measurement data difficult to forge,
Counterfeits can be more easily identified than non-RFID passports
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Question 21:
An automatic washing machine contains a device to read RFID chips sewn into clothing.
When an item of clothing is placed in the washing machine it is scanned. Describe how the
data is read from the RFID chip.
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Mr. Mahmoud Moussa IGCSE ICT 0983

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Explain the benefits of using RFID technology in a washing machine.
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Question 22:
A farmer has purchased a computerised feeding system for her goats. A goat has an RFID tag
attached to its ear, which is recognised by the computer. The system uses a passive RFID tag.
Describe how the RFID tag can be activated.
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The RF wave is detected by the reader which interprets the data.
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The system recognises the goat and therefore gives the correct feed to the animal.
Describe how RFID technology will be used to give the correct feed to the animal.
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The goat passes the RFID reader, The RFID reader extracts data from the tag, The ID is compared
with data stored in the database…………………………………..
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Question 23:
“Chip and PIN is the new, more secure way to pay with credit or debit cards ”.
Discuss the accuracy of this statement with regard to developments, since and including the
use of magnetic stripe cards at EFTPOS terminals and ATMs.

………………Data more difficult to copy on the chip…………

………Larger amount of information can be stored on the chip……………
………Disabled people find chip and PIN system easier than signing ……
………Not affected by magnetic fields……………………

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Question 24:
An electric bus system is being considered for New Delhi. Passengers will use smart cards to
travel on the bus. They will have to add money to their smart card before they can travel.
Compare and contrast the use of smart cards rather than using cash to pay for a journey.
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Both used for transactions, Both are portable, Both allow payment at point of use
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Question 25:
Shopping often requires the use of a credit card.
Give three methods of reading the data from the credit card.
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……………Magnetic stripe reader and Magnetic stripe reader………………………………………
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Question 26:
A bank has introduced a system whereby its customers will use contactless smart cards to
make purchases. This method of payment involves customers holding their card close to a

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Mr. Mahmoud Moussa IGCSE ICT 0983

reader at shopping outlets and restaurants. Discuss the advantages and disadvantages of this
method of payment compared to using chip and PIN cards.

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Advantages are that you can prevent Bactria and viruses from spreading and also an easier and
faster way of paying money + avoiding re-entering pin or mistakes
Disadvantages are that money can easily be stollen because anyone can scan from a distance at any
time and purchase money as well as that card can get lost and
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Question 27:
Recently mobile phones have been used to pay for goods in stores and supermarkets. One
method of payment involves holding the phone close to a reader in the store. Discuss the
advantages and disadvantages of this method of payment compared with other methods of
credit/debit card transactions.
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No PIN, No signature, Stops shoulder surfing, As the credit card does not have to be physically
present it cannot be stolen, The credit card number is not used in transactions stores do not gain
access to names and
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Question 28:
Contactless debit cards are replacing standard debit cards. Some countries are introducing
contactless debit card transactions at ATM machines. Give three disadvantages to the
customer of using these cards at an ATM.
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Need a compatible phone, Not available online, Stores need the
reader…………………………………………………………………………………………………
….. [3]

Question 29:
Contactless debit cards are replacing standard debit cards. Some countries are introducing
contactless debit card transactions at ATM machines. Discuss the advantages and
disadvantages to the bank of using these cards at an ATM
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Mr. Mahmoud Moussa IGCSE ICT 0983

The cost of producing new cards, The cost of producing new readers, The cost of re-writing the
ATM software, They are liable to fraud therefore compensate customers increasing costs
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Question 30:
An office has a microprocessor controlled central heating system.
Name and describe, in detail, the use of two input devices in such a system.

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Question 31:

Computers are used in supermarkets at checkouts. Identify three output devices which could
be used when an item is purchased.

Printer, Speaker, LCD display……………………………………………………………….. [3]

Question 32:
Modern LCD monitors and televisions use LED back-lit technology. Give two advantages of
using this new technology compared to the older cold cathode fluorescent lamp (CCFL)
method.

……higher resolution and much thinner monitors possible…………………………

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Question 33:

Describe Wide format printers

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Question 34:

Describe 3D printing and give two uses

is an additive process whereby layers of material are built up to create a 3D part.

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Question 35:
Cars have to be designed before they can be manufactured. 3D printers can be used to
produce models of a car. Describe the process involved in producing the models.

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Printer creates the model layer by layer, 3D digital copy is made and put in the software.
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Question 36:
3D printers are being used for producing personalised prescription drugs. Give two
advantages of using 3D printers for this purpose.

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Easier to change the percentages of drug in the tablet gets the drugs quicker
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Give two disadvantages of using 3D printers for this purpose.

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Question 37:
Aayush has been involved in an accident and has badly damaged his hand. A surgeon is
attempting to replace Aayush’s hand with a prosthetic hand. Explain how the surgeon would
use a 3D printer to create the prosthetic hand.
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A 3D digital copy is made of the injured areas The digital copy is loaded into the software slices the
model into hundreds of layers 3D printer creates the new hand/prosthetic layer by layer
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Question 38:

The nurses will need a printed record of the computer readings as they are taken. They have
decided to use a graph plotter. Give two reasons why they have chosen a graph plotter.

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Mr. Mahmoud Moussa IGCSE ICT 0983

They can produce huge printouts. The print quality is extremely high.
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Question 39:
A payroll office, which prints out large numbers of payslips every month, has decided to
install a new printer. Discuss the advantages and disadvantages of using a laser printer, an
inkjet printer or a dot matrix printer in this office.

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Question 40:
The head teacher needs one thousand copies of this newsletter. Give four reasons why a laser
printer should be used rather than an inkjet or a dot matrix printer.
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Laser has a better quality printout than dot matrix Laser has a larger paper tray than inkjet Laser
doesn’t need to change cartridges as often as an
inkjet…………………………………………………………………………………………………
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Question 41:
Describe three types of medical aid which can be produced using a 3D printer.
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Tissue engineering Artificial blood vessels Designs of medical tools and
equipment……………………………………………………………………………………………
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Question 42:

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Mr. Mahmoud Moussa IGCSE ICT 0983

Identify two uses of 3D printing that help doctors and patients in hospitals.
Create prosthetics Create dental implants Create customized tablets Create skeletal model Create
blood vessels Create anatomical models for surgery
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