Computer Science Explained: A Simple

Guide

Introduction to Computer Science

Computer science is like learning how to build and use very smart machines, called
computers. It's not just about playing games or watching videos, but about
understanding how these machines think and solve problems. Imagine you have a
special helper that can do many things very fast, like counting, drawing, or even
talking. Computer science teaches you how to tell this helper what to do, step by step,
so it can help us with many tasks in our daily lives.

Why is it important? Because computers are everywhere now! They are in our phones,
cars, hospitals, and even in our homes. Understanding computer science helps us use
these tools better, create new things, and solve big problems in the world, like finding
new medicines or making travel safer. It's a way to make our lives easier and more
interesting.

Core Concepts

1. Creative Development

Creative development in computer science is all about how we come up with new
ideas and turn them into computer programs. It’s like being an inventor, but instead
of building a physical machine, you build a program that can do amazing things.

Inspiration for Computing Innovations

New ideas for computer programs can come from anywhere. Sometimes, we see a
problem in the world and think, "A computer could help with that!" For example, if you
see that it's hard for people to find good restaurants, you might get the idea to create
an app that shows all the best places to eat. Inspiration can also come from nature,
like making a robot that flies like a bird, or from our own imagination, like creating a
fun game.

Hardware vs. Software

To understand computers, we need to know about two main parts: hardware and
software.

Hardware is the physical part of the computer that you can touch. Think of it like
the body of the computer. This includes the screen, the keyboard, the mouse,
and all the parts inside the computer that make it work.

Software is the set of instructions that tells the hardware what to do. It’s like
the brain of the computer. Software is the program that you use, like a game, a
web browser, or a music player. You can't touch software, but you can see what it
does on the screen.

For example, a self-driving car is hardware, but the program that tells the car how to
drive safely is the software.

Collaboration in Computing

Making computer programs is often a team effort. When people work together, it’s
called collaboration. Collaboration is very important in computer science because it
helps to create better programs. When different people with different ideas and skills
work together, they can solve problems faster and come up with more creative
solutions. For example, if a team is making a video game, one person might be good at
drawing the characters, another person might be good at writing the story, and
another person might be good at writing the code that makes the game work. By
working together, they can create a much better game than if they worked alone.

How Programs Function

A program is a set of instructions that a computer follows. These instructions are

written in a special language that the computer can understand, called a programming
language. A small part of a program is called a code segment.

Programs need to be able to handle different situations. For example, a calculator

program needs to be able to add any two numbers you give it, not just one specific
pair of numbers.
Program Input and Output

Input is the information that you give to a program. For example, when you type
a message on your phone, that message is the input. Input can also be a click of a
mouse, a touch on a screen, or even your voice.

Output is the information that the program gives back to you. For example, when
you send a message and your friend sees it on their phone, that is the output.
Output can be text on the screen, a picture, a sound, or even an action that a
robot does.

Development Process

Creating a program is a process that has several steps:

1. Investigating and Reflecting: First, you think about the problem you want to
solve or the idea you want to create.

2. Designing: Then, you plan how the program will work. You might draw pictures
of what the program will look like or write down the steps the program will
follow.

3. Prototyping: Next, you build a simple version of the program to see if it works.

4. Testing: Finally, you test the program to find and fix any mistakes.

This process is often iterative, which means you might go back and repeat some steps.
For example, after testing, you might find a problem and have to go back to the design
step to fix it.

Program Documentation

Program documentation is like a user manual for a program. It explains how the
program works and how to use it. Comments are a type of documentation that
programmers write directly in the code. Comments are notes that explain what the
code is doing. They are very helpful for other programmers who might need to read or
change the code later.

Types of Errors

Sometimes, programs don’t work correctly. These mistakes are called errors or bugs.
There are three main types of errors:
 Logic Error: This is a mistake in the program's thinking. The program runs, but it
doesn’t do what you want it to do. For example, if you write a program to add
two numbers, but it subtracts them instead, that is a logic error.

Syntax Error: This is a mistake in the programming language. It’s like making a
grammar mistake when you are writing. The computer doesn’t understand
what you are trying to say, so the program won’t run at all.

Runtime Error: This is an error that happens while the program is running. For
example, if a program tries to do something impossible, like dividing a number
by zero, it will cause a runtime error and the program will stop working.

2. Data

Data is the information that computers use to work. Think of it like the ingredients you
use to cook a meal. Without ingredients, you can't make anything. In the same way,
without data, computers can't do anything. Data can be numbers, words, pictures,
sounds, or anything else that a computer can store and use.

Bits and Bytes

Computers store all data using bits. A bit is the smallest piece of information that a
computer can store. A bit can only have one of two values: 0 or 1. It's like a light switch
that can be either on or off.

A byte is a group of 8 bits. By combining bits into bytes, computers can represent more
complex information. For example, a single letter of the alphabet can be represented
by one byte.

Abstractions in Data Representation

An abstraction is a way of hiding the complex details of something to make it easier to

understand. In computer science, we use abstractions to represent data. For example,
when you see the letter "A" on the screen, you don't see the 8 bits that the computer
uses to store it. The letter "A" is an abstraction that makes it easier for us to understand
the data.
Analog vs. Digital Data

Analog data is information that changes smoothly over time, like the sound of
your voice or the colors in a painting. It's continuous, with no breaks.

Digital data is information that is broken down into small pieces, or steps.
Computers can only store digital data. To store analog data, like a sound, a
computer needs to convert it into digital data. It does this by taking many small
samples of the sound and storing each sample as a number. This is called
sampling.

Consequences of Using Bits

Because computers use a limited number of bits to store numbers, there can be some
problems:

Overflow Error: This happens when you try to store a number that is too big for
the number of bits you have. It's like trying to fit a big rock into a small box. The
rock won't fit, and the computer will make a mistake.

Roundoff Error: This happens with decimal numbers. Sometimes, a computer

can't store a decimal number perfectly, so it has to round it. This can cause small
errors in calculations.

Number Systems

We are used to using the decimal number system, which has 10 digits (0-9).
Computers use the binary number system, which has only two digits (0 and 1).
Sometimes, programmers also use the hexadecimal number system, which has 16
digits (0-9 and A-F). It is important to know how to convert numbers between these
systems to understand how computers work with data.

Data Compression

Data compression is a way to make files smaller so they take up less space and are
easier to send over the internet. There are two types of data compression:

Lossy Compression: This type of compression makes files much smaller, but it
also loses some of the original information. For example, when you compress a
picture with lossy compression, it might not look as clear as the original. This
 type of compression is good for things like music and videos, where a small loss
in quality is not a big problem.

Lossless Compression: This type of compression makes files smaller without

losing any information. When you uncompress the file, it will be exactly the same
as the original. This type of compression is good for things like text documents
and computer programs, where you can't afford to lose any information.

Information from Data

We can use computer programs to look at large amounts of data and find interesting
patterns and information. For example, a company might look at the data of what
people are buying to understand what products are popular. This can help them make
better decisions.

However, it is important to be careful when looking at data. Sometimes, we might see

a pattern that is just a coincidence and not a real connection. Also, if the data we are
using is not good, the information we get from it will also not be good. This is why it is
important to use good data and to think carefully about the patterns we see.

Predicting Algorithms

Predicting algorithms are computer programs that use data from the past to guess
what will happen in the future. For example, a weather forecasting program uses data
about the weather from the past to predict what the weather will be like tomorrow.
These algorithms are used in many different areas, like in business to predict what
customers will buy, or in medicine to predict who is at risk of getting a disease.

Visualization of Data

Data visualization is the art of showing data in a way that is easy to understand.
Instead of looking at a long list of numbers, we can use charts and graphs to see the
patterns in the data more clearly. This can help us understand the information better
and make better decisions.

Privacy Concerns

When we use the internet, we create a lot of data about ourselves. This data can be
very useful, but it can also be very private. It is important to be careful about who we
share our data with and to make sure that our private information is kept safe.
Metadata is data about data. For example, a picture is data, but the time and place
where the picture was taken is metadata. Metadata can also contain private
information, so it is important to be careful with it.

3. Algorithms and Programming

Algorithms are like recipes or step-by-step instructions that tell a computer how to
solve a problem or complete a task. Just like a recipe tells you exactly what to do to
bake a cake, an algorithm tells a computer exactly what to do to get a specific result.
Programming is the process of writing these algorithms in a language that computers
can understand.

What is an Abstraction?

In programming, abstraction means simplifying something complex by hiding the

details that are not important. Imagine you are driving a car. You don't need to know
exactly how the engine works to drive it. You just need to know how to use the steering
wheel, pedals, and gear shift. The car's design abstracts away the complex engine
details. In programming, we use abstraction to make code easier to understand and
manage. For example, a function that sorts a list of numbers is an abstraction; you
don't need to know every single step it takes to sort, just that it will give you a sorted
list.

Mathematical Operators

Computers can do math using mathematical operators. These are symbols that tell
the computer to perform a calculation. Common mathematical operators include:

+ (addition)

- (subtraction)

* (multiplication)

/ (division)

MOD (modulus - gives the remainder after division, e.g., 5 MOD 2 = 1)

Assignment Operators

Assignment operators are used to give a value to a variable. A variable is like a

container that holds information. The most common assignment operator is the
equals sign ( = ). For example, x = 10 means that the variable x now holds the value
10.

Lists (Data Structures)

A list is a way to store many pieces of information in one place, in a specific order.
Think of it like a shopping list. You can have many items on your list, and they are
usually in a certain order. In computer science, a list is a type of data structure, which
is a way of organizing data. Each item in a list has a position, called an index, which
helps the computer find it. For example, myList = ["apple", "banana", "cherry"]
is a list. "apple" is at index 1 (or 0 in some programming languages).

Display and Input Operators

Display operators are commands that tell the computer to show something on
the screen. For example, a DISPLAY() command might show a message or the
value of a variable.

Input operators are commands that allow the computer to receive information
from the user. For example, an INPUT() command might ask the user to type
something on the keyboard.

Relational and Boolean Operators

Relational operators are used to compare two values. They help the computer make
decisions. Examples include:

= (equal to)

> (greater than)

< (less than)

>= (greater than or equal to)

<= (less than or equal to)

!= (not equal to)

Boolean operators are used with TRUE or FALSE values to combine conditions. The
main Boolean operators are:

AND : Both conditions must be true for the result to be true.

 OR : At least one condition must be true for the result to be true.

NOT : Reverses the truth value (true becomes false, false becomes true).

Searching Algorithms

Searching algorithms are used to find a specific item in a list. Two common types are:

Linear Search: This is like looking for a book on a shelf by checking each book
one by one from the beginning until you find the one you want. It works on any
list, even if it's not sorted.

Binary Search: This is a much faster way to find an item, but it only works if the
list is sorted (like words in a dictionary). You start by looking at the middle item. If
it's not the item you want, you can eliminate half of the list and then repeat the
process on the remaining half. This quickly narrows down where the item could
be.

Flowcharts

A flowchart is a visual diagram that shows the steps of an algorithm using different
shapes and arrows. It's like a map for your program, making it easier to understand the
order of operations and decisions.

Procedures (Functions, Methods) and Parameters

A procedure (also called a function or method) is a block of code that performs a

specific task. You can give a procedure some information to work with, called
parameters. For example, you might have a procedure called addNumbers that takes
two numbers as parameters, adds them together, and then gives you the result. Using
procedures helps organize code and makes it reusable.

Iteration (Loops)

Iteration means repeating a set of instructions multiple times. This is often done using
loops. For example, if you want to print the numbers from 1 to 10, you can use a loop
that repeats the action of printing a number and then adding 1 to it, ten times.
Selection (Conditional Statements)

Selection means making decisions in a program. This is done using conditional

statements, most commonly IF statements. For example, an IF statement might
say: IF it is raining, THEN take an umbrella. The program checks a condition,
and if the condition is true, it performs a certain action. If it's false, it might do
something else or nothing at all.

Sequencing

Sequencing is the order in which instructions are executed in a program. Computers

follow instructions one after another, in the exact order they are given. This is the most
basic building block of any algorithm. If you change the sequence of instructions, the
program might behave differently or not work at all.

Computer Systems and Networks

This section talks about how computers are built and how they connect to each other
to share information.

Computing Devices

A computing device is any machine that can process information. This includes
obvious things like desktop computers, laptops, and smartphones, but also less
obvious things like smartwatches, smart TVs, and even some modern cars. These
devices all have parts that work together to take in information, process it, and then
give out new information.

Autonomous Systems of the Internet

The internet is a huge network of computers all over the world. It's not controlled by
one single company or government. Instead, it's made up of many smaller,
independent networks that all agree to work together. These smaller networks are
called autonomous systems. They use special rules and protocols to send
information back and forth, making sure that when you send a message, it gets to the
right place, even if it has to travel through many different networks.
Fault Tolerance

Fault tolerance means that a system can continue to work even if some parts of it fail.
The internet is designed to be very fault-tolerant. Imagine if there was only one path
for information to travel from your computer to a website. If that path broke, you
wouldn't be able to reach the website. But the internet has many different paths. If one
path breaks, the information can automatically find another way to get to its
destination. This makes the internet very reliable, even when problems happen.

Efficiency of Solutions

When we talk about the efficiency of solutions in computer systems, we are thinking
about how well a program or a system uses its resources. Resources can be things like
time (how fast a program runs) or memory (how much space a program needs). An
efficient solution is one that gets the job done quickly and without wasting a lot of
resources. For example, if you have two programs that do the same thing, the one that
finishes faster and uses less memory is more efficient.

Impact of Computing

This section explores how computers and technology change our lives, both in good
ways and bad ways.

The World Wide Web

The World Wide Web (often just called "the web") is a system of interconnected
documents and other web resources that are accessed via the Internet. It's what you
use when you browse websites like Google or Facebook. The web has made it easy for
people all over the world to share information, communicate, and learn new things. It
has changed how we shop, how we get news, and how we connect with friends and
family.

Digital Divide

The digital divide refers to the gap between those who have access to computers and
the internet and those who do not. Even though computers are everywhere, not
everyone has the same access to them. Some people might not have computers or
internet access at home, or they might not know how to use them. This can create
problems because many important things, like jobs, education, and healthcare, now
rely on computers and the internet. The digital divide can make it harder for some
people to get ahead.

Beneficial and Harmful Effects of Computing

Computers have many beneficial effects on our lives. They help us communicate
faster, learn more easily, and solve complex problems. For example, doctors use
computers to find new ways to treat diseases, and scientists use them to understand
the universe better. Computers also help us automate tasks, making our lives more
convenient.

However, computing can also have harmful effects. For example, too much screen
time can be bad for our eyes and minds. There are also concerns about privacy, as
computers collect a lot of information about us. And sometimes, people use
computers for bad things, like spreading false information or stealing personal data.

Human Bias in Computing

Human bias can sometimes get into computer programs. This happens when the
people who create the programs have their own biases, even if they don't mean to. For
example, if a program is designed to decide who gets a job, and the people who
trained the program only used data from one group of people, the program might
unfairly favor that group. It's important to be aware of this and try to make sure
computer programs are fair to everyone.

Crowdsourcing

Crowdsourcing is when a large group of people, often online, work together to

complete a task or solve a problem. It's like asking many people for help instead of just
one or two. For example, some websites use crowdsourcing to get many people to
help translate a book into different languages or to identify objects in pictures. This
can be a very powerful way to get a lot of work done quickly.

Legal and Ethical Concerns

As computers become more powerful, they bring up new legal and ethical concerns.
For example, who owns the data that computers collect about us? Is it right for a
computer program to make important decisions about people, like who gets a loan or
who goes to jail? These are difficult questions that we need to think about as a society
to make sure computers are used in a fair and responsible way.

Safe Computing

Safe computing means taking steps to protect ourselves and our computers from
harm. This includes things like using strong passwords, being careful about what we
click on online, and protecting our personal information. It's important to be aware of
online dangers, like viruses and phishing scams, and to know how to protect ourselves
from them.

Practical Application: Create Performance Task

This part of the book is about a special project called the "Create Performance Task."
It's where you get to show what you've learned by making your own computer
program. Think of it as your big final project where you get to be a computer scientist!

General Requirements

For this task, you need to create a program that does something interesting. You'll also
need to make a short video showing your program working and write some
explanations about it. It's important to follow all the rules and instructions carefully to
get a good score.

Program Requirements

Your program needs to show that you can use different parts of programming. This
includes:

Input: Your program must take some information from the user, like typing
something on the keyboard or clicking a button.

List: You need to use a "list" in your program. A list is like a container that holds
many pieces of information, like a shopping list. This helps make your program
less complicated.

Procedure: Your program needs to have a special block of code called a

"procedure" (or function). This procedure should do a specific job and take in
some information (called "parameters") to help it do its job.
 Algorithm: Inside your procedure, you need to show that you can use the basic
building blocks of algorithms: sequencing (steps in order), selection (making
decisions), and iteration (repeating steps).

Output: Your program must show some information back to the user, like text on
the screen or a picture.

Written Report Guidelines

After you make your program, you need to write about it. This report is divided into a
few parts:

3a: Purpose and Function: You'll explain what your program does, what you
showed in your video, and what information your program takes in and gives out.

3b: Data Abstraction: You'll show how you used a list in your program and
explain how using the list made your program simpler.

3c: Procedural Abstraction: You'll show the special block of code (procedure)
you made, explain what it does, and how it works step-by-step.

3d: Testing: You'll show how you tested your procedure with different inputs and
what happened when you ran those tests.

Rubric Explanation

The "rubric" is like a checklist that the people grading your project will use. It tells you
exactly what you need to do to get points for each part of the task. It's very important
to read the rubric carefully so you know what is expected of you.

Practice and Review

To help you get better at computer science, the book provides many ways to practice
what you learn.

Diagnostic Tests

A diagnostic test is like a check-up. You take it at the beginning to see what you
already know and what you need to learn more about. It helps you find your strengths
and weaknesses.
Practice Tests

After you study, you can take practice tests. These are like real exams, and they help
you get ready for the actual test. They have many questions that are similar to what
you will see on the real exam.

Answer Keys and Explanations

For all the tests, there are answer keys that tell you the correct answers. More
importantly, there are explanations for each answer. This helps you understand why
an answer is correct and learn from your mistakes. It's like having a teacher explain
every question to you.