10. Information Communication Technology

Justification: RAM is the internal working memory of the computer. Programs and data being used are loaded into RAM, where they can be read, changed and processed. ROM (Read Only Memory), on the other hand, only allows the stored information to be read; it cannot be changed. RAM works only as long as electricity is supplied, so its contents are lost when the computer is switched off.

Justification: PowerPoint lets us arrange text, pictures and videos on slides, add designs and animations, and show them one after another as a slide show on a screen or projector. This makes a presentation attractive and easy to follow.

Justification: in a spreadsheet, numerical data is entered in rows and columns of cells. It can be selected and turned into line, bar or pie graphs with a single command from the ‘Insert’ tab, and calculations can also be done using formulae.

Justification: first-generation computers such as ENIAC (1946–1959) were built with thousands of large vacuum tubes (valves). These consumed a lot of electricity and produced a great deal of heat, which made the computers overheat and shut down many times.

Justification: a computer is made of electronic components, and electronic components function only as long as they are supplied with electricity. The RAM, too, keeps its information only while power is on.

• Handling the information explosion: scientific knowledge is growing at a tremendous rate. ICT helps to collect, store, classify and quickly search this huge amount of information, so that our knowledge does not become outdated.
• Collecting scientific information: through the Internet, email, newsgroups, blogs, online encyclopaedias and video conferencing, scientists and students everywhere get the latest information and can discuss it.
• Demonstration: experiments and concepts that are difficult to show directly, such as the working of the nervous system, can be shown through simulations and animations.
• Processing data and prediction: computers analyse large amounts of data very fast and help make predictions, for example weather and monsoon forecasts using supercomputers like Param.
• Research: computers are used in space research, the study of the earth’s interior, oil exploration, medicine and engineering.
• Presentation and sharing: results can be presented as documents, graphs and slide shows, and shared instantly with others.

• Microsoft Word: to type notes and reports, and to write chemical and mathematical equations neatly with the ‘Equation’ option.
• Microsoft Excel: to enter observation tables of experiments, do calculations with formulae, and draw graphs such as distance–time or current–voltage graphs.
• Microsoft PowerPoint: to make presentations with pictures, diagrams and videos on topics like the classification of plants.
• Web browser and search engine: to find information, pictures and videos on the Internet.
• PDF reader (Acrobat Reader): to read e-books and reference material.
• Simulation software (such as PhET): to perform virtual experiments on topics like electric circuits.

A computer works in three main stages:

The operating system acts as the link between the user and the computer, and the whole work is done by following a program — a set of commands given to the computer.

• Use only licensed or trusted software; do not download software from unknown websites.
• Install antivirus software and keep it updated; scan pen drives before opening files.
• Save your work frequently, and keep a backup copy.
• In a spreadsheet, keep data in tabular form, enter different data in different cells, avoid unnecessary spaces and special characters, and start every formula with ‘=’ without spaces.
• Give files proper names and save them in proper folders.
• Do not open unknown email attachments or links; do not share passwords.
• Shut down the software and computer properly after use.

Steps:

1. Open Microsoft Excel and choose ‘New’ → ‘Blank workbook’.
2. Type the headings in the first row: Time, Amar, Akbar, Anthony.
3. Enter the times 5.00, 5.30, 6.00, 6.30, 7.00, 7.30, 8.00 in the first column, and the distances in the next three columns: Amar — 0, 20, 40, 60, 80, 100, 120; Akbar — 0, 18, 36, 42, 70, 95, 120; Anthony — 0, 14, 28, 42, 56, 70, 84.
4. Select all the data, go to the ‘Insert’ tab and choose a ‘Line’ (or ‘Scatter with lines’) chart.
5. Add a chart title and the axis titles: ‘Time’ on the X-axis and ‘Distance (km)’ on the Y-axis.

What the graph shows: Amar’s and Anthony’s graphs are straight lines, because they covered equal distances in equal time intervals — uniform motion. Amar’s line is steeper, so his speed is greater. Akbar’s graph is not a straight line, because he covered unequal distances in equal intervals — non-uniform motion.

Precautions:

• Enter the data in proper tabular form, with a separate column for each person and correct headings.
• Check every value carefully; one wrong entry changes the shape of the graph.
• Do not leave unnecessary blank spaces or use special characters in the cells.
• Enter time as text labels (such as 5.00, 5.30), or as minutes from the start (0, 30, 60 …), so that equal intervals are spaced equally.
• Take time on the X-axis and distance on the Y-axis, and label both axes with units.
• Choose the correct graph type (line graph) and give the chart a title and legend.

In short, with each generation computers became smaller, faster, cheaper, more reliable and easier to use, while their power consumption and heat production decreased.

Contribution of science: each generation became possible because of discoveries in physics, chemistry and electronics.

• The study of the flow of electrons in vacuum led to valves.
• Research on semiconductors such as silicon and germanium led to the invention of the transistor in 1947.
• Advances in materials science and chip-making technology made integrated circuits (1958) and then microprocessors (1971) possible, packing more components on a tiny chip.
• Mathematics and computer science developed programming languages, operating systems and artificial intelligence.
• Progress in communication science produced networking and the Internet.

• Mobile phone / smartphone: calls, messages, and sharing notes, photos and videos through messaging apps.
• Computer or laptop with Internet: email, blogs, websites, and video conferencing to reach many people at once.
• Presentation software with a projector or smart board: presenting a topic to the class or at a school programme.
• Printer: printed notes, charts and posters for display.
• Pen drive / cloud storage: sharing files, documents and presentations.
• Camera and microphone: recording videos and audio talks to share, for example on an educational channel.
• Radio and television: for sharing knowledge with a large audience, for example through a community radio programme.

Suggested topics: Newton’s laws of motion, Classification of plants, The carbon, oxygen and nitrogen cycles, Useful and harmful microbes. Prepare them on your own computer. The steps can be shown in a flowchart as follows:

Write about your own experience. Some common difficulties and their solutions:

• The computer became very slow or hung: I closed unnecessary programs, restarted the computer and deleted unwanted files.
• A file was lost because the power went off: I learnt to save work frequently, turn on AutoSave and use a UPS.
• A virus came through a pen drive: I installed and updated antivirus software, and scan every pen drive before opening it.
• The Internet was not connecting: I checked the cable or Wi-Fi, restarted the router, and asked an elder for help.
• The printer did not print: I checked the cables, paper and ink, and selected the correct printer.
• I could not type equations or draw graphs: I learnt the ‘Equation’ option in Word and the ‘Insert Chart’ option in Excel with the help of my teacher and online tutorials.
• A formula in Excel gave an error: I found that I had left a space or forgotten the ‘=’ sign, and corrected it.