Web Browsers and Web Servers
A web browser requests pages from web servers, which send back files that the browser displays.
▶ Interact
Play with the controls to see the idea in action.
📘 Learn
A web browser requests pages from web servers, which send back files that the browser displays.
- URLs identify pages
- HTTP and HTTPS are the protocols
- Servers store websites
🧠 Quick quiz
Three questions. Score 2 or more to complete the topic.
What is Web Browsers and Web Servers?
Within Computer Science, which covers algorithms, programming, data, networks, hardware and safe, responsible use of technology, this topic explains Web Browsers and Web Servers. Computing topics explain how software, hardware and data work, with diagrams and models that show each step in order.
Check that you can explain Web Browsers and Web Servers in your own words and give one example from everyday life. If you can do that, you have understood the core idea.
Understanding Web Browsers and Web Servers helps you design, test and explain programs, websites and systems, from small projects to exam questions.
Web Browsers and Web Servers in detail
A web browser, such as Chrome, Firefox or Safari, is software that requests, retrieves and displays web pages by interpreting HTML, CSS and JavaScript. A web server is a computer that stores websites and sends the requested files back.
When you enter a URL, the browser finds the server's address using DNS, sends an HTTP or HTTPS request, the server responds with the page and the browser renders it. Static pages are sent as stored, while dynamic pages are generated by the server (for example, from a database). HTTPS encrypts the connection. Understanding this client-server model explains how websites work.
How the interactive helps you understand Web Browsers and Web Servers
Watch the network in the interactive. Use any sliders or buttons it offers to change the values and see how the network responds.
Before you change anything, predict the result. Then change one value at a time and check whether your prediction was right. This is a quick way to build a correct mental model of Web Browsers and Web Servers.
Real-life uses and examples
- Apply Web Browsers and Web Servers when you design a small program, website or spreadsheet.
- Explain Web Browsers and Web Servers to someone new to computing by comparing it to a familiar process.
- Trace through a process that uses Web Browsers and Web Servers to check what it does step by step.
Common mistakes to avoid
- Testing only the normal case and forgetting the edge cases.
- Using the term without being able to say what the computer actually does.
- Learning the definition without testing it. Use the quiz and the interactive to check that you can apply the idea.
Frequently asked questions about Web Browsers and Web Servers
What is Web Browsers and Web Servers?
A web browser requests pages from web servers, which send back files that the browser displays.
What are the most important points about Web Browsers and Web Servers?
The main points are: URLs identify pages; HTTP and HTTPS are the protocols; Servers store websites.
Why is Web Browsers and Web Servers useful?
Understanding Web Browsers and Web Servers helps you design, test and explain programs, websites and systems, from small projects to exam questions.
How can I practise Web Browsers and Web Servers?
Open the interactive at the top of this page and change the controls one at a time. Predict the result before each change, then take the three-question quiz. A score of two or more marks the topic as complete on this device.
Which topics are related to Web Browsers and Web Servers?
Related topics in Computer Science include Network Topologies, Packet Switching, Cyber Security Threats.