A geologist is searching for a mineral specimen with a specific density of 8.4 g/cm3 from a sorted list of 11 measured densities:
[2.1,2.8,3.5,4.2,4.9,5.6,6.3,7.0,7.7,8.4,9.1][2.1, 2.8, 3.5, 4.2, 4.9, 5.6, 6.3, 7.0, 7.7, 8.4, 9.1][2.1,2.8,3.5,4.2,4.9,5.6,6.3,7.0,7.7,8.4,9.1]
Using the binary search algorithm with indices 1 to 11, and calculating the midpoint index using the formula ⌊L+R2⌋\displaystyle \lfloor \frac{L+R}{2} \rfloor⌊2L+R⌋ (where L L\,L and R R\,R represent the lower and upper bounds of the current search space), demonstrate how the target density of 8.4 g/cm3 is located. For each step, identify the midpoint index and its value, show the comparison with the target, and state the remaining list of densities.
Practise OCR GCSE Computer Science Searching and sorting algorithms with exam-style questions for GCSE Computer Science. 36 questions, matched to the OCR GCSE Computer Science (J277) specification and written in Component 01 and Component 02 style. Every question includes a full worked solution and mark scheme, so you can see where marks are awarded rather than just whether you got the answer right.