Author: Mr Stratton

Computing teacher and a PT at Coltness High School.

Homework for 3rd Nov 2014

  1. What is the number system used by computers? (1)
  2. State two advantages of using binary numbers rather than decimal numbers in a computer system. (2)
  3. The reserve price of a vase is £42·50. State how a real number such as 42·50 would be represented in the computer. (1)
  4. A program calculates the average rainfall for one week as 18.6mm. Describe how floating point representation is used to represent real numbers. (2)
  5. Convert the decimal number 13 into a binary number. (1)
  6. Convert the following binary numbers in to decimal (2)
    1. 00001011
    2. 10011111
  7. Convert the following decimal numbers into binary  (2)
    1. 63
    2. 193
  8. Convert the binary number 11011 into a decimal number. (1)
  9. State one reason why computer systems use binary numbers rather than decimal numbers. (1)
  10. Convert the decimal number 27 into an 8 bit binary number. (2)

Total 15

Good Luck 4th Year

I know I’ve not taught you this year 4th and I’m not sure if you still read the blog. However, Good luck in the exam tomorrow. Spend your last day of studying productively, don’t forget to get an early night.

Website Features and Functions

There is still a great deal of confusion over the features and functions of websites.

Website Features.

This is what makes up the website and how it looks. For example,  features of the Google website are a search box in the middle of the screen and a clean uncluttered look to the site. This is to help the website visitors to find what they want more quickly.

Website Functions.

This is the point of the website. For example, the function of the school’s website is to pass information directly to parents via the news on the front page.

Websites have many features and functions and when you go to explain remember to expand on your answers and say why that feature or function is used.

Evaluating the Design of Web Pages

Web pages are not put together in a random manner. Much thought will have been put into the layout and content of a web site, especially if the web site is designed to sell or promote products over the internet. Remember the web designer will have to have had interviews with the client (customer) to find out what is requiresAreas that can be used to evaluate how good a web page is can be as follows :-
  • Content – This is the actual text,  pictures and graphics that make up each page.
  • Balance – This refers to colour, text and pictures being evenly spread over the page.
  • Unity – Topics relating to each other should be in the same area on the page.
  • Texture – Areas on a web page that give the impression of a surface (e.g brick, carpet.)
  • Tables and Lines – Tables used to contain information, lines used to make borders etc.
  • Colour – Too many colours on a web page puts people off. Red and Green is not a good colour combination.
  • Movement – This means leading the viewers eye from one area to another.
  • Navigation – How to get from one area to another. (Hyperlinks, scroll bars etc)

HTML Tags

The  main structural HTML tags are

  • <HTML> </HTML> – This tells the browser where the HTML pages starts amd stops.
  • <Head> </Head> – This is the header of the HTML page it is not displayed but contains information that is required for the page to be displayed properly.
  • <Title> </Title> – This is the title of the page, it is displayed in the tab at the top of the screen.
  • <Body> </Body> – The contents of the page are contained here/
  • <p> – Takes a new paragraph
  • <!– Comment –> – This is a comment for the designer and is not displayed in the browser.

The main formatting tags are

  • <Font color =”green”> green text </font> – This changes the colour of the text, note the American spelling. Colours can be described by name or by a hexadecimal reference.
  • <font face=”Tahoma”> Fancy fonts </font> – You can change the font the text is displayed in.
  • <b></b> – Embolden the text.
  • <i></i> – Italics the text
  • <u></u> – Underline the text
  • <H1>..<H7> – Set the text as a header and specify a type
  • <sup>2</sup> – Display as supertext (think squares)
  • &nbsp – Display a non blank space