Question

What is an accumulator? Explain why it is so called.

Answer 1

Dear Student,

In a computer's central processing unit (CPU), an accumulator is a register in which intermediate arithmetic and logic results are stored.
Without a register like an accumulator, it would be necessary to write the result of each calculation (addition, multiplication, shift, etc.) to main memory, perhaps only to be read right back again for use in the next operation. Access to main memory is slower than access to a register like the accumulator because the technology used for the large main memory is slower (but cheaper) than that used for a register. this is why it is known as accomulator
Regards