Generation of Computer MCQs (Multiple Choice Questions) refers to a set of questions designed to test one’s knowledge and understanding of the different generations of computers. These questions cover a range of topics, including the development of computing technology, the types of computers developed over time, and the various technologies used in different generations of computers.
Some common topics covered in Generation of Computer MCQs include the characteristics of different generations of computers, the key innovations that led to the development of each generation, and the main differences between various types of computers.
For example, a Generation of Computer MCQ might ask: “Which of the following was a key innovation that led to the development of the second generation of computers?” Possible answers might include the development of the transistor, the invention of the microprocessor, or the introduction of magnetic storage media.
Note The following questions have been taken from previous year SSC examinations, including SSC CGL, SSC CHSL, SSC CPO.
Generation of Computer 50 MCQs
What was the main electronic component used in first-generation computers?
Correct Answer: B. Vacuum tube
Explanation: First-generation computers used vacuum tubes as their primary electronic switching and processing components. Vacuum tubes made these computers very large, expensive and power-hungry, and they generated considerable heat.
What was the main programming language used in first-generation computers?
Correct Answer: D. Machine language
Explanation: First-generation computers were mainly programmed using machine language, which consists of binary instructions represented by 0s and 1s. It was difficult to write, understand and debug because it was specific to each computer.
Which storage and memory devices were commonly used in first-generation computers?
Correct Answer: C. Magnetic tapes and magnetic drums
Explanation: Magnetic drums were commonly used as internal memory in early computers, while magnetic tapes were used to store programs and large amounts of data. Modern semiconductor memory and flash storage had not yet been developed.
Which input media were commonly used with first-generation computers?
Correct Answer: C. Paper tape and punched cards
Explanation: Programs and data were commonly entered into early computers through punched cards or holes punched into paper tape. Results were generally produced as printed output rather than being displayed on a modern monitor.
According to conventional computer-history timelines, when did the evolution of the modern computer begin?
Correct Answer: A. 16th century
Explanation: Many conventional computer-history timelines trace the development of modern computing to calculating aids and mathematical innovations that appeared from the late 16th and early 17th centuries. However, much older calculating devices, including the abacus, existed thousands of years earlier.
Which generation of computers was developed approximately between 1940 and 1956?
Correct Answer: A. First-generation computers
Explanation: The period from approximately 1940 to 1956 is commonly classified as the first generation of electronic computers. These machines mainly used vacuum tubes for circuitry and magnetic drums for memory.
Which mechanical calculator was invented in 1642?
Correct Answer: B. Pascal’s Calculator
Explanation: Blaise Pascal invented the Pascaline, also known as Pascal’s Calculator, in 1642. It used a system of numbered wheels and gears to perform addition and subtraction.
Which mechanical calculator was completed in 1694?
Correct Answer: C. Stepped Reckoner
Explanation: Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz developed the Stepped Reckoner. Work on the machine began in the 1670s, and a completed version was produced in 1694. It was designed to perform addition, subtraction, multiplication and division.
Which calculating machines were patented or developed in 1887 and 1889, respectively?
Correct Answer: A. Comptometer and Comptograph
Explanation: Dorr E. Felt received patents for the Comptometer in 1887. He later received a patent for the Comptograph in 1889. The Comptograph was a printing version of the key-driven Comptometer calculating machine.
What was the primary technology used for the electronic circuitry of first-generation computers?
Correct Answer: B. Vacuum tubes
Explanation: Vacuum tubes were used to control and amplify electrical signals in first-generation computers. Magnetic tape was a storage medium, whereas transistors and microchips became important in later generations of computers.
Which of the following was the first general-purpose electronic computer?
Correct Answer: A. ENIAC
Explanation: ENIAC, or Electronic Numerical Integrator and Computer, is widely recognized as the first programmable, general-purpose electronic digital computer. It was completed in 1945 and publicly introduced in 1946.
Who designed the ENIAC?
Correct Answer: A. John Mauchly and J. Presper Eckert
Explanation: ENIAC was principally designed by physicist John W. Mauchly and electrical engineer J. Presper Eckert at the University of Pennsylvania’s Moore School of Electrical Engineering.
What was the main purpose of first-generation computers?
Correct Answer: C. Calculation, data storage and control
Explanation: First-generation computers were primarily developed to perform complex numerical calculations and process or store data. They were used for military calculations, scientific research, census work and other large-scale computational tasks.
Which computer was based on a stored-program design that kept both data and instructions in memory?
Correct Answer: B. EDVAC
Explanation: EDVAC was designed to store program instructions and data in the computer’s memory. John von Neumann described this stored-program architecture in his influential “First Draft of a Report on the EDVAC,” based on collaborative design discussions.
Which computer developed by Eckert and Mauchly was delivered to the United States Census Bureau in 1951?
Correct Answer: C. UNIVAC I
Explanation: UNIVAC I, or Universal Automatic Computer I, was developed by J. Presper Eckert and John Mauchly. The first unit was delivered to the United States Census Bureau in 1951. It later became famous for predicting the result of the 1952 U.S. presidential election.
Why was programming first-generation computers a tedious task?
Correct Answer: B. They lacked operating systems and were programmed manually in machine language
Explanation: First-generation computers did not have modern operating systems, compilers or user-friendly programming tools. Programmers often had to write machine-level instructions and manually configure switches, cables or plugboards, making programming slow and difficult.
What were the typical size and weight characteristics of first-generation computers?
Correct Answer: B. Large and heavy
Explanation: First-generation computers contained thousands of vacuum tubes and many other bulky electrical components. They often occupied entire rooms, weighed several tonnes and required powerful cooling systems.
What was the primary electronic technology used in second-generation computers?
Correct Answer: B. Transistors
Explanation: Second-generation computers replaced vacuum tubes with transistors. Transistors were smaller, faster, more reliable and more energy-efficient, and they produced less heat than vacuum tubes.
What is a transistor?
Correct Answer: C. A semiconductor device that amplifies or switches electronic signals
Explanation: A transistor is a semiconductor device used to amplify electrical signals or act as an electronic switch. In computers, transistors control electrical current and represent binary on-and-off states.
In which year was the transistor invented?
Correct Answer: B. 1947
Explanation: The first working point-contact transistor was invented at Bell Laboratories in 1947 by John Bardeen, Walter Brattain and William Shockley. The three scientists received the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1956 for their semiconductor research and the transistor effect.
What was an important advantage of using transistors in second-generation computers?
Correct Answer: A. They reduced the size and cost of computers
Explanation: Transistors were much smaller, cheaper and more energy-efficient than vacuum tubes. Their use helped make second-generation computers smaller, more reliable and less expensive. They also consumed less electricity and generated less heat.
What was magnetic-core storage in second-generation computers?
Correct Answer: A. A type of memory
Explanation: Magnetic-core storage was a type of computer memory made from thousands of tiny magnetic rings called cores. Each core stored one binary bit as either 0 or 1. It was widely used as the main memory in second-generation computers because it was reliable and retained data even when power was switched off.
Which high-level programming languages were used during the second generation of computers?
Correct Answer: B. FORTRAN, ALGOL and COBOL
Explanation: High-level programming languages became increasingly important during the second generation of computers. FORTRAN was mainly used for scientific and engineering calculations, COBOL was developed for business data processing, and ALGOL influenced the development of later structured programming languages.
Which of the following were major functional units of second-generation computer systems?
Correct Answer: D. All of the above
Explanation: Second-generation computer systems contained input and output units, a central processing unit and a memory unit. These basic functional units were not unique to the second generation, but transistor technology made them smaller, faster and more reliable.
What was the main electronic component used in second-generation computers?
Correct Answer: B. Transistors
Explanation: Second-generation computers replaced the vacuum tubes used in first-generation machines with transistors. Transistors were smaller, faster, more reliable and more energy-efficient than vacuum tubes, and they generated less heat.
Which low-level programming languages were commonly used in second-generation computers?
Correct Answer: A. Machine language and assembly language
Explanation: Machine language continued to be used during the second generation, while assembly language made programming easier by replacing binary instruction codes with mnemonic symbols. High-level languages such as FORTRAN and COBOL were also introduced and widely adopted during this period.
Which type of memory and storage was commonly used in second-generation computers?
Correct Answer: C. Magnetic-core memory with magnetic tapes and disks
Explanation: Magnetic-core memory was commonly used as the main internal memory of second-generation computers. Magnetic tapes and magnetic disks were used as secondary storage for keeping larger quantities of programs and data.
Which input and storage media were commonly used with second-generation computers?
Correct Answer: C. Punched cards and magnetic tapes
Explanation: Punched cards were commonly used to enter programs and data into second-generation computers. Magnetic tapes were mainly used for data storage and transferring large amounts of information. Printed reports were a common form of output.
How did second-generation computers compare with first-generation computers in size, power consumption and heat generation?
Correct Answer: B. They were smaller, consumed less power and generated less heat.
Explanation: Transistors were much smaller and more energy-efficient than vacuum tubes. Therefore, second-generation computers generally occupied less space, required less electrical power and produced less heat than first-generation computers. They were also faster and more reliable.
Which of the following is NOT an example of a second-generation computer?
Correct Answer: D. ENIAC
Explanation: ENIAC was a first-generation electronic computer that used thousands of vacuum tubes. The IBM 1401, IBM 7090 and CDC 1604 were transistor-based computers commonly associated with the second generation.
What was the main technological shift during the third generation of computers?
Correct Answer: B. From discrete transistors to integrated circuits
Explanation: Third-generation computers replaced circuits made from individual transistors with integrated circuits. An integrated circuit combined several transistors and other electronic components on a compact semiconductor chip, making computers smaller, faster and more reliable.
What are integrated circuits?
Correct Answer: C. Transistors and other electronic components formed on semiconductor chips
Explanation: An integrated circuit is a miniature electronic circuit containing transistors, resistors and other components formed and interconnected on a small semiconductor chip. Most integrated circuits are made using silicon.
What was one of the most notable features of third-generation computers?
Correct Answer: C. High speed and improved reliability
Explanation: Integrated circuits allowed third-generation computers to process information more quickly and reliably than earlier transistor-based systems. These computers were also generally smaller, produced less heat and required less maintenance.
Which semiconductor material was commonly used to manufacture integrated circuits?
Correct Answer: C. Silicon
Explanation: Silicon became the principal semiconductor material used to manufacture integrated circuits. Its electrical properties can be carefully controlled, making it suitable for creating transistors and other microscopic electronic components.
What is another commonly used name for an integrated circuit?
Correct Answer: B. Silicon chip
Explanation: Integrated circuits are commonly called chips, microchips or silicon chips. The name refers to the small piece of semiconductor material on which the electronic circuit is manufactured.
What is an integrated circuit, or IC?
Correct Answer: D. A small semiconductor chip containing many interconnected electronic components
Explanation: An IC is a miniature electronic circuit formed on a small semiconductor substrate. It may contain transistors, resistors, capacitors and electrical connections that work together to perform particular electronic functions.
What was a major advantage of placing many electronic components on a single IC?
Correct Answer: B. Reduced physical size
Explanation: Integrating many electronic components onto one chip greatly reduced the space required for computer circuitry. Integrated circuits also helped lower manufacturing costs, reduce power consumption and improve processing speed and reliability.
Which programming development became prominent during the third generation of computers?
Correct Answer: C. Greater use of high-level languages such as BASIC
Explanation: More capable computers and time-sharing systems encouraged the development and wider use of accessible high-level programming languages. BASIC was introduced in 1964 to make computer programming easier for students and non-specialist users.
What is a minicomputer?
Correct Answer: C. A smaller and less expensive computer than a contemporary mainframe
Explanation: A minicomputer was a relatively small and affordable multi-user computer positioned between large mainframes and smaller personal computers. Minicomputers became popular in laboratories, businesses, universities and industrial control systems.
How were minicomputers generally characterized during the third-generation era?
Correct Answer: C. They were relatively small and affordable
Explanation: Minicomputers developed during the 1960s were smaller and less expensive than the mainframe computers of the period. This made computing accessible to smaller organizations, departments, laboratories and educational institutions.
What was the main electronic component used in third-generation computers?
Correct Answer: C. Integrated circuits
Explanation: Third-generation computers used integrated circuits, commonly called ICs, instead of individual transistors. Integrated circuits placed several electronic components on a small silicon chip, making computers smaller, faster and more reliable.
Which type of programming language became widely used with third-generation computers?
Correct Answer: D. High-level programming languages
Explanation: High-level languages such as BASIC, FORTRAN and COBOL became widely used during the third-generation period. These languages were easier for programmers to write, understand and maintain than machine or assembly language.
Which type of main memory was commonly used in third-generation computers?
Correct Answer: A. Magnetic-core memory
Explanation: Magnetic-core memory remained a common form of main memory in many third-generation computers. It stored binary information using tiny magnetized rings and was reliable, durable and non-volatile.
Which devices and storage media were commonly used with third-generation computers?
Correct Answer: C. Magnetic tape, monitors, keyboards and printers
Explanation: Third-generation computer systems increasingly used keyboards and monitors for interaction, while printers provided printed output. Magnetic tapes and disks were commonly used for data storage. Punched cards also continued to be used in many systems.
Which of the following includes examples commonly associated with third-generation computers?
Correct Answer: B. IBM System/360, PDP-8 and UNIVAC 1108
Explanation: The IBM System/360, PDP-8 and UNIVAC 1108 are commonly associated with the third-generation computer era. These systems used integrated-circuit technology and offered improved speed, reliability and processing capability.
During which period did microprocessor-based fourth-generation computers begin to develop?
Correct Answer: B. 1971–1981
Explanation: The fourth generation of computers began in 1971 with the introduction of commercially available microprocessors. During the 1970s and early 1980s, microprocessor technology led to the development of smaller and more affordable computers.
What is a microprocessor?
Correct Answer: D. An integrated circuit containing the main functions of a CPU on one chip
Explanation: A microprocessor is an integrated circuit that contains the arithmetic, logic and control functions of a central processing unit. It receives instructions, processes data and controls other parts of a computer system.
What are the main advantages of microprocessors?
Correct Answer: D. All of the above
Explanation: Microprocessors place the main processing functions on a compact integrated circuit. This reduces the size and cost of computers while improving their speed, reliability and energy efficiency.
Which functions can a microprocessor perform?
Correct Answer: D. All of the above
Explanation: A microprocessor performs arithmetic operations such as addition and subtraction, logical operations such as comparisons, and control operations that coordinate the execution of instructions and the movement of data.
How does a microprocessor relate to an integrated circuit?
Correct Answer: C. A microprocessor is an integrated circuit specifically designed to perform CPU functions
Explanation: A microprocessor is a specialized type of integrated circuit that contains the main processing functions of a CPU. However, not every integrated circuit is a microprocessor. Other ICs may perform functions such as memory storage, signal amplification or device control.
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