Flow line

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Date:

Class:

Quick Questions

Shade in the A or B circle for each question.

1. What does a flow line show in a flowchart?

A Which step runs next

B The value stored in a variable

2. Which part of a flow line shows the direction to follow?

A The arrowhead

B The length of the line

3. How many flow lines should leave a process box?

A Two, a Yes line and a No line

B One

4. How does a flowchart show that a set of steps repeats in a loop?

A A flow line joins back to an earlier shape

B The process box is drawn twice in a row

5. Two flow lines need to be drawn. Which is better?

A Lines that cross over each other in the middle

B Lines that do not cross each other

Match the Pairs

Draw a line connecting each item on the left to its match on the right.

Left column		Right column
1Start → Process → End (arrowheads pointing down)		AA process shape should have only one flow line out. Two lines leaving it make it unclear which step runs next. Only a decision has two exits.
2Arrow from the bottom of a decision back up to a shape above it		BTidy layout: the loop-back arrow goes round the side of the chart without crossing other arrows
3A process box has exactly one flow line leaving it, because only one step can come next		CA flow line joining back to an earlier shape so that the steps repeat, which makes a loop
4Flow lines should not cross where avoidable, so the flowchart stays clear and easy to follow		DThe flow line has no arrowhead, so the direction of control is unclear. It must be an arrow pointing to the next shape.
5Process box joined to the next shape by a plain line with no arrowhead		ETotal ← Total + Mark (one arrow out of the box to the next shape)
6Process box with two arrows leaving it to two different shapes		FThe arrowheads on the flow lines show the direction control passes from one shape to the next

Definitions

flow line

Fill in the Blanks

Complete each line of code by filling in the missing parts.

Start __ INPUT Num -> OUTPUT Num -> End

Arrow: Input -> Output means Input is _____

A process has _ flow line out

Decision lines are labelled YES and __

Process A -> Decision Decision -> NO -> _________

Spot the Error

Shade in the letter of the line that contains an error.

Question 1

A Start --> Input Mark

B Input Mark --> Process Add 1

C Output Total --> Process Add 1

D Output Total --> End

Question 2

A Start --> Process Total

B Process Total --> Output & End

C Output Total --> End

Question 3

A Input Guess --> Decision Right

B Decision No --> End

C Decision Yes --> Output Win

D Output Win --> End

Question 4

A Start --> Input Num

B Input Num --> Process Double

C Process Double --> Output Num

D Output Num --- End

Question 5

A Input Num --> Start

B Input Num --> Process Square

C Process Square --> Output Sq

D Output Sq --> End

Answer Key

Flow line

Section A: Quick Questions

A — Which step runs next

A — The arrowhead

B — One

A — A flow line joins back to an earlier shape

B — Lines that do not cross each other

Section B: Match the Pairs

Start → Process → End (arrowheads pointing down) → The arrowheads on the flow lines show the direction control passes from one shape to the next

Arrow from the bottom of a decision back up to a shape above it → A flow line joining back to an earlier shape so that the steps repeat, which makes a loop

A process box has exactly one flow line leaving it, because only one step can come next → Total ← Total + Mark (one arrow out of the box to the next shape)

Flow lines should not cross where avoidable, so the flowchart stays clear and easy to follow → Tidy layout: the loop-back arrow goes round the side of the chart without crossing other arrows

Process box joined to the next shape by a plain line with no arrowhead → The flow line has no arrowhead, so the direction of control is unclear. It must be an arrow pointing to the next shape.

Process box with two arrows leaving it to two different shapes → A process shape should have only one flow line out. Two lines leaving it make it unclear which step runs next. Only a decision has two exits.

Section C: Definitions

flow line — An arrow that joins two flowchart shapes and shows which step runs next. The arrowhead points the way control passes, from Start to End, and a line can loop back to repeat steps.

Section D: Fill in the Blanks

Start -> INPUT Num -> OUTPUT Num -> End

Arrow: Input -> Output means Input is first

A process has 1 flow line out

Decision lines are labelled YES and NO

Process A -> Decision
Decision -> NO -> Process A

Section E: Spot the Error

C — The arrowhead points the wrong way. Control must pass from the process to the output, so the line should be Process Add 1 --> Output Total.

B — A process shape has only one flow line out. This line leaves it for two shapes. It should be Process Total --> Output Total, and the output then goes on to End.

B — The No line must join back to Input Guess so the loop repeats. Here it goes straight to End, so the loop never happens.

D — The flow line has no arrowhead, so the direction of control is unclear. It should be Output Num --> End.

A — The line points into Start. Control must leave Start and pass to the first step, so it should be Start --> Input Num.