Explain compilers vs. interpreters, MICR in banking, and convert 14/64 base 10 to binary.

Step 1: State two differences between compilers and interpreters. • Compiler: Translates the entire program into machine code (object code) before execution. It reports all errors after the entire compilation process. • Interpreter: Translates and executes the source code line by line. It stops execution and reports an error as soon as it encounters one. Step 2: Give three reasons why Magnetic Ink Character Recognition (MICR) is popular in the banking industry for cheque processing. • High Accuracy: MICR characters are read with high precision, reducing errors in financial transactions. • Speed: It allows for rapid processing of a large volume of cheques, improving efficiency. • Security: The special magnetic ink makes characters resistant to alteration, enhancing security against fraud. Step 3: Change (14)/(64) base 10 to binary. First, simplify the fraction: (14)/(64) = (7)/(32) Now, convert the decimal fraction 0.21875 (which is (7)/(32)) to binary by repeatedly multiplying by 2 and taking the integer part. 0.21875 × 2 &= 0.4375 & → 0 \\ 0.4375 × 2 &= 0.875 & → 0 \\ 0.875 × 2 &= 1.75 & → 1 \\ 0.75 × 2 &= 1.5 & → 1 \\ 0.5 × 2 &= 1.0 & → 1 Reading the integer parts from top to bottom gives the binary fraction. Therefore, (14)/(64)_10 = 0.00111_2. Step 4: Describe the following numbering system. i) Hexadecimal: This is a base-16 numbering system. It uses 16 distinct symbols: the digits 0-9 and the letters A-F (where A represents 10, B represents 11, and so on, up to F representing 15). ii) Octal: This is a base-8 numbering system. It uses 8 distinct symbols: the digits 0-7. Step 5: State functions a primary key in a database. • Uniquely Identifies Records: It ensures that each record in a table can be uniquely identified, preventing duplicate entries. • Establishes Relationships: It is used to link tables together, forming relationships that allow data to be combined and queried across different tables. Step 6: Mention three hardware-related factors that one need to consider before installing an operating system in a computer. • Processor (CPU) Compatibility and Speed: The OS must be compatible with the computer's processor architecture (e.g., 32-bit or 64-bit) and meet its minimum speed requirements. • Random Access Memory (RAM) Capacity: The amount of RAM available must meet or exceed the OS's minimum requirements for stable and efficient operation. • Hard Disk Drive (HDD) or Solid State Drive (SSD) Space: Sufficient storage space is needed for the OS installation files, system updates, and user data. Step 7: Typing in Ms-Word is easier and efficient. Give three features that make this possible. • Spell Check and Grammar Check: Automatically identifies and suggests corrections for spelling and grammatical errors, improving document accuracy. • AutoCorrect: Automatically corrects common typing errors, capitalizes the first letter of sentences, and inserts symbols, speeding up typing. • Formatting Tools: Provides easy-to-use options for text formatting (e.g., bold, italics, font size, alignment), paragraph styling, and page layout, making documents professional. Step 8: Describe three reasons why primary storage is not used for secondary storage. • Volatility: Primary storage is volatile, meaning it loses its contents when the power is turned off, making it unsuitable for permanent data storage. • Cost: Primary storage is significantly more expensive per unit of storage compared to secondary storage devices like hard drives or SSDs. • Limited Capacity: Primary storage typically has a much smaller capacity than secondary storage, which is designed to hold large volumes of data. Step 9: A coding scheme represent a word as 1011010010100100010101. Get the number of (i) Nibbles in the word (ii) Bytes in the word. The given binary string is 1011010010100100010101. Total number of bits = 22. i) Nibbles in the word: A nibble consists of 4 bits. Number of nibbles = Total bitsBits per nibble = (22)/(4) = 5.5 ii) Bytes in the word: A byte consists of 8 bits. Number of bytes = Total bitsBits per byte = (22)/(8) = 2.75 Step 10: Kenya Power Lighting Company sends out staff to read power meters at the end of every month. The data collected by the staff is fed into the computer then process at the same time to generate bills. i) Name this type of data processing: This is an example of Batch Processing. ii) State two advantages of this approach: • Efficiency for Large Volumes: It is highly efficient for processing large volumes of data that do not require immediate interaction, as resources can be optimized for continuous processing. • Reduced Manual Intervention: Once a batch job is set up, it requires minimal human intervention, reducing the potential for manual errors and operational costs. Step 11: Explain how data in a computer can be secured using (2marks) a) Password: A password secures data by acting as an authentication mechanism. Users must provide a correct password to gain access to a computer system, specific files, or applications. This prevents unauthorized individuals from viewing, modifying, or deleting sensitive information. b) Firewall: A firewall secures data by monitoring and controlling incoming and outgoing network traffic based on predetermined security rules. It acts as a barrier between a trusted internal network and untrusted external networks (like the internet), blocking unauthorized access attempts and protecting against malware and cyberattacks. Step 12: Represent -23_10 in three ways in 8-bit binary. First, convert the positive magnitude 23_10 to 8-bit binary: 23_10 = 00010111_2 1. Signed Magnitude Representation: The most significant bit (MSB) indicates the sign (0 for positive, 1 for negative), and the remaining 7 bits represent the magnitude. For -23_10, the sign bit is 1. 10010111_2 2. One's Complement Representation: To find the one's complement of a negative number, first find the binary representation of its positive magnitude, then invert all the bits (change 0s to 1s and 1s to 0s). Positive 23_10 = 00010111_2 Invert all bits: 11101000_2 3. Two's Complement Representation: To find the two's complement of a negative number, first find its one's complement, then add 1 to the result. One's complement of -23_10 = 11101000_2 Add 1: 11101000_2 + 1_2 = 11101001_2 Step 13: Name three change case options supported by Ms-Publisher. • Sentence case: Capitalizes the first letter of each sentence and converts the rest to lowercase. • lowercase: Converts all selected text to lowercase. • UPPERCASE: Converts all selected text to uppercase. • Capitalize Each Word: Capitalizes the first letter of each word and converts the rest to lowercase. Step 14: What is a database? A database is an organized collection of structured information, or data, typically stored electronically in a computer system. It is designed to efficiently store, manage, and retrieve large amounts of data. Step 15: Use illustrations to explain how While...Do and Repeat...Until can be implemented. While...Do Loop (Entry-Controlled Loop): The condition is checked before the loop body is executed. If the condition is true, the loop body executes. If the condition is false initially, the loop body will not execute even once. Illustration (Pseudocode): ` SET counter = 1 WHILE counter <= 5 DO PRINT "Current count is: " + counter SET counter = counter + 1 END WHILE ` Explanation: This loop will print "Current count is: 1" through "Current count is: 5". The condition counter <= 5 is checked before each iteration. When counter becomes 6, the condition is false, and the loop terminates. Repeat...Until Loop (Exit-Controlled Loop): The loop body is executed at least once, and then the condition is checked after each iteration. The loop continues to execute as long as the condition is false, and it terminates when the condition becomes true. Illustration (Pseudocode): ` SET counter = 1 REPEAT PRINT "Current count is: " + counter SET counter = counter + 1 UNTIL counter > 5 ` Explanation: This loop will also print "Current count is: 1" through "Current count is: 5". The loop body executes first, then the condition counter > 5 is checked. The loop continues until counter becomes 6, at which point the condition counter > 5 becomes true, and the loop terminates. That's 2 down. 3 left today — send the next one.