Logic and Processors

We know that computers can only understand 1s and 0s. But how do they process and manipulate these 1s and 0s to add numbers, send messages, or even play chess? It all builds upon a small device called a transistor. By using transistors to represent 1s and 0s and applying rules known as Boolean logic, computers can perform complex calculations. These transistors are packaged into a chip known as the Central Processing Unit.

In this section, we’ll talk about transistors, Boolean logic, and how they come together to form the brains of a computer: the CPU.

• Videos

  • TED-Ed on How Transistors Work
  • Khan Academy on Circuits & Logic
  • Crash Course on CPUs

• Notes

  • Transistors and Logic
  • CPU and SoC

• Supplementary Resources

  • Numberphile on Domino Addition
  • Crash Course on Boolean Logic & Logic Gates
  • Computerphile on Inside the CPU

• Thought Questions

  • How are logic gates abstracted by boolean expressions? How are logic gates abstracted by processors? How do these abstractions differ?
  • What is Moore’s law and how does it affect computer science?
  • How does a computer run multiple applications at once? Do CPUs have to have multiple cores to accomplish this?
  • Although CPU handles all of the “computing,” today’s computers contain much more than a CPU. What kind of components might a CPU need to work with?