Computers make up the world around us - from robots to phones to our coffee machines, modern appliances are often powered by computers. We rely on this technology on a daily basis; therefore, we should ask ourselves the following question:

How does a computer work?

Using a computer is an interactive experience. When we press a button on our keyboard to type something, our computers know what characters to display. When we move our mouse, computers generate a cursor that mimics the mouse’s movements. How does a computer know what to produce based on the interactions we have with it?

In this lesson, we’ll go over the four main functions of a computer that make these interactions possible:

• Input
• Processing
• Memory
• Output

Let’s get started!