Answer:
Explanation:
In the context of computers, a "computer cycle" refers to the basic unit of time in a computer's central processing unit (CPU). It represents the time it takes for the CPU to complete one instruction cycle, which includes fetching, decoding, executing, and storing the results of an instruction.
Here is a breakdown of the stages involved in a typical computer cycle:
1. Fetch: The CPU retrieves the next instruction from memory.
2. Decode: The CPU interprets the fetched instruction to determine the operation to be performed.
3. Execute: The CPU carries out the operation specified by the instruction.
4. Store: The CPU stores the result of the executed instruction back to memory or a register.
Each of these stages takes a certain amount of time, and the sum of these times is known as the "clock cycle time" or "clock period." The clock cycle time is determined by the computer's clock speed, measured in hertz (Hz), which represents the number of cycles per second.
For example, if a computer has a clock speed of 2 GHz (2 billion cycles per second), it means that the CPU can perform 2 billion cycles per second, with each cycle taking 1/2 billionth of a second (0.5 nanoseconds) to complete.
It's worth noting that modern CPUs often have multiple execution units and can execute multiple instructions simultaneously, thanks to techniques like pipelining and superscalar processing. This means that multiple instructions can be in different stages of the cycle at the same time, leading to improved performance.
In summary, a computer cycle refers to the basic unit of time in a CPU, during which an instruction is fetched, decoded, executed, and the result is stored. The duration of a computer cycle is determined by the computer's clock speed, which is measured in hertz.