The processor in a computer is often called the CPU, or the “chip.” The processor is the “brain” of the computer. Really, though, it only does one very simple thing at a time, such as adding or comparing two numbers. There are a very small number of things a processor can actually do, such as adding or comparing numbers. The trick is, it can do a lot of those simple things, really, really fast. In fact, modern computers can do many billions of things each second! Processors are very small, and are usually protected by a metal covering. They are also usually covered by a heatsink, a large device used to help draw heat away from it.

Processor speeds (like many of the speeds on the computer) are measured in Hertz, abbreviated HZ. One Hertz just means one time per second. A clock’s second hand, for example, moves once per second, or one 1 Hz. Your heart beat, when you are resting, is probably around 60 beats per minute, or 1 Hz. Processors operate one cycle at a time, and we judge their speed by how many cycles they can complete in a second. Current high-end processors can perform around 4 billion cycles a second, or 4 gigahertz (giga just means “billion”). And they keep getting faster. Generally, processors have doubled their speed about every year and a half. (This is known as “Moore’s Law,” which is neither a law, nor does Moore claim the credit for it. That’s the internet for you!)

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