The combination of the arithmetic and logic units, as well as the ______________ unit makes up the central processing unit.

The central processing unit (CPU) is the part of the computer that carries out instructions, and it is built from a small number of cooperating components.

Two of those components are the arithmetic and logic unit (ALU), which performs calculations and logical comparisons, and the control unit, which directs and coordinates the entire process, it fetches instructions from memory, decodes what each instruction means, and generates the signals that tell the ALU and other parts of the computer exactly when and how to act. Together, the ALU and the control unit, along with registers, make up the CPU.

Input, memory, and simple binary values such as "1/0" are not units that combine with the ALU to form the CPU, memory is a separate component the CPU reads from and writes to, and input refers to devices, not an internal CPU component.

Exam tip: remember the CPU's two core functional units by their roles, the ALU calculates and compares, the control unit directs and sequences everything else.