Internal/External Computer Components Kim Roselli Emily Mross

Computers are made up of many parts. Each part (or component) of the computer works with other components to make the computer work. Computers need electricity to work. Even lap top computers have a battery that is charged with electricity.

Can you think of how computers are like our bodies?

Both have outside And inside parts that you cannot see

Today we are going to learn the outside (or external) parts of the computer

Rectangular shape Tower Case Power Switch Places to plug other devices in

Back The tower case holds all of the important computer parts or components. If you were to look at the back of a tower you would see that it has a lot of places for cords and that can connect to other computer parts such as the monitor

Many computer towers have a place where you can insert CDs, some even have a place for DVDs(digital video Disk). CDs can hold a lot of information DVDs can hold even more! CD Rom- Compact Disk Read Only Memory

USB ( Universal Serial Bus) Ports Used to plug in other devices, like digital cameras, or devices that hold information. Digital Camera Device that holds information

Monitor A monitor is an electronic device used to show pictures or programs on a computer.

Keyboard A keyboard is a device used to put (type) text (words or letters) into the computer.

Mouse A mouse is used to tell the computer what to do.

Printer A printer is a device that can take information from the computer and print it into a document.

What are some ways that we could compare external computer parts to our ourselves?

Now we are going to learn about inside (internal) parts of the computer

Motherboard The motherboard got its name because it acts like a mother to all the other circuit boards. It is the largest circuit board and has other boards plugged into it. We can compare the motherboard to the human heart

On the motherboard there are expansion cards. Each expansion card has a special purpose.

Sound card The sound card has special circuits that make computer sounds Like our voices

Video Card The video card works with graphics (pictures) that are shown on the monitor.

Modem The modem is an expansion card that lets computers talk to each other. The modem plugs the computer into a phone or cable line so information can be sent or received from one computer to another.

CPU- Central Processing Unit The CPU controls information and tells other computer parts what to do. The CPU is stored inside the tower case. Can you think of what part of the body we could compare to the CPU?

RAM- Random Access Memory RAM chips remember what you tell them and can even change to remember new information. Just like our own memories… EXCEPT that when the computer turns off it forgets everything you told it.

ROM- Read Only Memory ROM is good at remembering, but it can’t change its mind. ROM is like a like a library book- there is a lot of good information in it, but you can’t change what it says.

Ports When you are looking at external computer parts the ports are the places that you can plug in devices. EXTERNAL When you are looking at the same ports on the inside they connect to expansion cards that have a special purpose. INTERNAL Remember the USB Ports? Remember the expansion cards?

Disk Drives- take information off of storage discs and read them Remember the CD ROM we learned about? The CD ROM is a disc drive that reads the information from the CD or DVD. Like music or a movie file.

Hard Drive The hard drive of a computer is a disc drive that is inside the computer, because it reads information that is not supposed to leave the computer.

Software Software gives instructions to the computer parts to tell them what to do and when to do it. Here are some examples: Software that helps you play Computer Games Software that helps you write Software that helps you fix pictures that you took.

Congratulations! Next you are now ready to move on to learn computer input and output devices! HAVE FUN!