Exam-style question
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Explain the roles of the control unit, clock, arithmetic logic unit, general-purpose registers and status register while an instruction is being executed.
Model answer
What a good answer should say
- The control unit decodes the current instruction and sends control signals to coordinate the processor components.
- The clock provides regular timing signals so that these activities occur in a controlled sequence.
- The arithmetic logic unit performs any arithmetic or logical operation required by the instruction.
- General-purpose registers hold data or intermediate results during processing.
Explanation
Why this works
The answer should link each component to its role in execution rather than simply listing their names. The control unit coordinates operations, the clock synchronises them, the ALU performs calculations or logical operations, general-purpose registers provide temporary working storage, and the status register records information about an operation's result.
Common mistake
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