Smart card

High school (ages 12+)
Science & Technology

Name:

Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/smart-card

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. What is the standard dimensions?Conforms to ISO/IEC 7810 credit card size specifications
2. What is the embedded components?Microprocessor, ROM, RAM, EEPROM, and I/O logic
3. How does a smart card keep my secrets safe?The chip inside a smart card has special security tricks. It can keep data hidden and check your secret PIN without sending it to a computer. This makes it hard for bad people to steal information.
4. Why do smart cards have both contact and contactless options?Contact cards use metal pins that touch a reader, while contactless cards use radio waves. Having both lets people choose the fastest or safest way to use the card.

EEPROM (Electrically Erasable Programmable Read-Only Memory): A type of non-volatile memory that can be erased and reprogrammed electrically, used for storing data on smart cards.
Cryptographic Operations: Mathematical processes used for secure communication, such as encryption, decryption, and digital signatures.
Single Sign-On (SSO): An authentication scheme allowing a user to log in once and access multiple related, yet independent, software systems.