The internet, the world wide web and URLs Cambridge IGCSE Computer Science revision
Not started
Learn it
In plain words
People use "the internet" and "the web" as if they were the same thing. They are not. The internet is the roads. The web is one kind of traffic that uses them.
5 things to know
- The internet is the infrastructure: the worldwide network of networks, made of cables, routers and servers.
- The world wide web is the collection of websites and web pages that are accessed using the internet.
- Email, video calls and online games also use the internet. They are not part of the web.
- A uniform resource locator (URL) is the text-based address of a web page.
- A URL can contain three parts: the protocol (such as https), the domain name (such as www.example.com) and the name of the web page or file (such as /news/index.html).
Worked example
Pick out the three parts of the URL https://www.example.com/shop/shoes.html
- The protocol is https, before the colon.
- The domain name is www.example.com.
- The web page or file name is /shop/shoes.html.
Tips and tricks
- The internet is the infrastructure. The web is the collection of web pages. Use those two words and you have the marks.
- A URL is a text address for people. Computers find the server using its IP address.
It lands in your notebook with its questions as flashcards.
The internet, the world wide web and URLs: 5 questions and answers
These are the quiz’s questions. Do the quiz first, then come back here for the ones that got you.
What is the internet?
Web pages are carried over it.
What is the world wide web?
It is one of the services that use the internet.
What is a URL?
It is the address typed into a browser.
In https://www.example.com/index.html, which part is the protocol?
The protocol comes first, before the colon.
In https://www.example.com/index.html, which part is the domain name?
It names the website's server.
Quiz
5 questions
Tap an answer and you’ll see straight away whether it’s right, and why.
Worksheet
2 questions, 5 marks. Write your answers on paper, then check them.
The internet, the world wide web and URLs
Cambridge IGCSE Computer Science 0478 · 5 marks · papermunch.org
Name ______________________________ Date ______________
Describe the difference between the internet and the world wide web.[2]
Show answerHide answer
The internet is the infrastructure: the global network of connected networks. The world wide web is the collection of websites and web pages that are accessed using the internet.
Identify the three parts of the URL https://www.papermunch.org/exams/index.html[3]
Show answerHide answer
The protocol is https. The domain name is www.papermunch.org. The file name is /exams/index.html.
Answers: The internet, the world wide web and URLs
- 1. The internet is the infrastructure: the global network of connected networks. The world wide web is the collection of websites and web pages that are accessed using the internet.
- 2. The protocol is https. The domain name is www.papermunch.org. The file name is /exams/index.html.