Management Information System (MIS) Practice Exam

Which input technology operates by detecting the position of a finger on a digitizing surface?

1. Touch screen

2. Graphics tablet

3. Optical mouse

4. Trackball

The correct answer is: Touch screen

The technology that operates by detecting the position of a finger on a digitizing surface is indeed the touch screen. Touch screens are designed to recognize and respond to touch gestures, allowing users to interact directly with what is displayed on the screen. This interaction is facilitated through various methods, including capacitive and resistive sensing. In a capacitive touch screen, the surface is coated with a conductive material that can detect changes in electrical charge when a finger approaches, while resistive touch screens respond to pressure applied to the surface. Both types effectively enable the detection of finger position, allowing for versatile user interactions such as tapping, swiping, and multi-touch gestures. In contrast, a graphics tablet detects inputs from a specialized stylus or pen rather than a finger, making it more suited for drawing and precision tasks. An optical mouse uses a light sensor to track movement on a surface and requires a physical mouse structure to function, while a trackball has a stationary design where the user rotates a ball to move a cursor, which is fundamentally different from how touch screens operate. Thus, the key aspect of touch position detection distinctly identifies touch screens as the correct answer.