Punch Card — Questions and answers
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What big problem did the United States Census Bureau face in 1888?
Choices
- They had too many clerks and nowhere for them to sit.
- The nation's population had shrunk, making the census too easy.
- The manual process was too slow and would take over a decade to finish the next census. ✓
- They couldn't find enough pens and paper to write down all the numbers.
Answer: The manual process was too slow and would take over a decade to finish the next census.
From page 1
Who suggested to Hollerith that there should be a mechanical way to process data, similar to the Jacquard loom?
Choices
- A textile factory owner
- Dr. John Shaw Billings ✓
- Herman Hollerith's assistant
- An official from Washington D.C.
Answer: Dr. John Shaw Billings
From page 4
What was the first step in using Hollerith's punch card system?
Choices
- Feeding the cards into the tabulator.
- Sorting the cards into different bins.
- Using a 'pantograph punch' to make holes in the cards. ✓
- Transmitting a signal to an electromagnetic counter.
Answer: Using a 'pantograph punch' to make holes in the cards.
From page 7
How quickly did Hollerith's system finish the 1890 census results?
Choices
- It took many years, just like before.
- It delivered the results in mere months. ✓
- It was never able to finish the census.
- It only worked for small parts of the census.
Answer: It delivered the results in mere months.
From page 8
What company did Hollerith found in 1896 that later became part of IBM?
Choices
- The Data Management Company
- The Information Processing Inc.
- The Tabulating Machine Company ✓
- The Punch Card Systems
Answer: The Tabulating Machine Company
From page 9
What eventually replaced punch cards for storing data?
Choices
- More paper and pencils
- Magnetic tape, disk drives, and digital interfaces ✓
- Even bigger punch cards
- People counting by hand
Answer: Magnetic tape, disk drives, and digital interfaces
From page 10