A ________ is a computer attached to the Internet that runs special web server software and can send web pages out to other computers over the Internet.

Introduction / Context:
The World Wide Web works on a client server model. Some computers request information, while others provide it. When you browse a website, your device acts as a client, and another computer somewhere on the Internet sends back the requested pages. This question asks for the term used for the computer that hosts websites and sends web pages to clients. Understanding this distinction is fundamental to web technology and Internet concepts.

Given Data / Assumptions:

• The computer is attached to the Internet.
• It runs special software for serving web pages.
• It sends web pages out to other computers that request them.
• Options include web client, web page, web server and other terms.

Concept / Approach:
A web server is both software and the computer that runs that software to host websites. The server listens for HTTP or HTTPS requests from clients and responds by sending HTML pages, images and other resources. The term web server is often used to describe the hardware machine as well. A web client, typically a browser running on a user’s device, receives pages but does not serve them. A web page is the document itself, not the computer. A search engine is a specialised type of web service, not the generic term for any page hosting computer. Therefore, the correct term is web server.

Step-by-Step Solution:

Verification / Alternative check:
Internet technology guides describe the interaction as follows: A browser (client) sends an HTTP request to a web server, and the web server responds with an HTTP response containing the web page. Web hosting companies advertise their web servers on which websites reside. When setting up a site, administrators install web server software such as Apache HTTP Server, Nginx or Microsoft Internet Information Services on a computer connected to the Internet. All these references consistently use the term web server for the machine that sends web pages, confirming the answer.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:

• Web client: Refers to software like a browser that requests and displays web pages, not the computer that serves them.
• Web system: Not a standard technical term; it is too vague to describe the specific role in the client server model.
• Web page: A single document or resource delivered over the web, not the machine that stores and serves content.
• Search engine: A specialised web service for searching pages; while it runs on web servers, it is not the general term the question seeks.

Common Pitfalls:
Some learners mix up server and client roles because both can be computers connected to the Internet. A good way to remember is: the client asks, the server serves. Your laptop or phone is typically a client when browsing; the machine in a data centre that sends the pages is the server. Also, remember that a web page is just content, whereas a web server is the host that delivers that content to many users worldwide.

Final Answer:
A computer that runs web server software and sends web pages to other computers is called a Web server.