This key facts covers How the ALU Works with Other Components within Arithmetic Logic Unit (ALU) for GCSE Computer Science. Revise Arithmetic Logic Unit (ALU) in 3.4 Computer Systems for GCSE Computer Science with 15 exam-style questions and 12 flashcards. This topic appears regularly enough that it should still be part of a steady revision cycle. It is section 5 of 7 in this topic. Use this key facts to connect the idea to the wider topic before moving on to questions and flashcards.
How the ALU Works with Other Components
- Gets data from: Accumulator (ACC) and registers/memory
- Controlled by: Control Unit (tells ALU which operation to perform)
- Stores results in: Accumulator (ACC) - results overwrite previous ACC value
- When it operates: During the EXECUTE stage of the FDE cycle
Example flow: Instruction "ADD 5" → Control Unit tells ALU "perform addition" → ALU takes current ACC value (8), adds 5 → Result (13) goes back to ACC
Practice questions for Arithmetic Logic Unit (ALU)
What does ALU stand for?
Explain how the role of the ALU differs from the role of the Control Unit (CU).
Quick recall flashcards
What does ALU stand for?
Arithmetic Logic Unit
Where are ALU results stored?
Accumulator (ACC)