Worksheet 2 Application and system software
Unit 4 Computer systems
Worksheet 2: Application and system software
Task 1
1. What does an operating system do?
Write down things you think an operating system does. Use these screen shots from
Microsoft Windows and your own experience to help you.
1
Worksheet 2 Application and system software
Unit 4 Computer systems
2. What is the difference between system software and application software?
3. Tick the box that corresponds to the correct group of software, stating whether it is
either application or system software.
Application System
software software
Windows 10
Excel spreadsheet software
Android
Python IDE
Firewall software
iOS
Chrome browser
Word processor
FIFA football game
Till software for Tesco
Linux
Air traffic control
2
Worksheet 2 Application and system software
Unit 4 Computer systems
Task 2
4. An Operating System (OS) handles the management of processors, memory, I/O
devices, applications and security. Give examples of how the OS does this.
Aspect How the OS manages this
Processor
Memory
I/O Devices
Applications
Security
3
Worksheet 2 Application and system software
Unit 4 Computer systems
Task 3
5. The grid below represents locations (sectors) on a hard disk where files can be stored.
Each one is 512 bytes each so a file will occupy several sectors. Files 1 to 5 are shown
on the hard disk diagram in grey. We are going to simulate storing some more files on
this disk.
(a) File 6 needs 11 sectors of disk space, write it to the disk
(b) File 7 needs 8 sectors of disk space, write it to the disk
1 1 1 1 1 1 2 2 2
2 2 2 2 2 3 3 3
3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3
4 4 4 4 4 4 4
5 5 5 5 5 5 5
(c) What did you have to do to fit the last file onto the disk?
(d) Why does this make it slower to read this file?
(e) What does the disk defragmenter do?
(f) Show what the disk will look like after the disk defragmenter has run.
4
Worksheet 2 Application and system software
Unit 4 Computer systems
Task 4
6. Choose from the list below to fill in the name of the utility program being described in
each row of the table. (You may not use all the names, and some may be used more
than once.)
automatic backup, automatic update, anti-spyware, anti-virus, compression, disk
defragmenter file management, file repair, file transfer, firewall, spyware
Prevents harmful programs being installed and important files
being changed.
Prevents unauthorised access to computers or a LAN.
Optimises the use of the hard disk space by collecting together the
separate parts of each file in one location on the disk.
Controls what sites computers on the LAN can access.
Reduces the size of a file so that it can be sent as an email
attachment.
Regularly checks on the internet for patches or newer versions of
software and installs it.
Scans a damaged file and extracts the maximum data from it to
create a new, usable file.
Saves a copy of all files that have been changed since the last
time the utility was run.
Allows the user to create a logical view of how their files are
organised using folders. Allows the user to move files within
folders, copy, paste, name and delete files.
Detects programs that secretly record what you are doing on your
computer, and prevents them from installing themselves.
