In computer terminology, what is the list of coded instructions that tells the computer exactly what steps to perform called?

Introduction / Context:
Computers execute instructions written by programmers to carry out useful tasks. These instructions must be organised and stored in a form that the machine can interpret. This question asks you to identify the term used for the actual list of coded instructions that a computer follows to perform its operations.

Given Data / Assumptions:

• The instructions are coded, meaning they are written in a programming language or machine language.
• The list describes a specific sequence of steps for the computer to execute.
• The focus is on the concrete, executable form rather than the abstract idea of a method.
• No numeric calculation is required.

Concept / Approach:
An algorithm is an abstract, step by step procedure for solving a problem, independent of any particular programming language. A flowchart is a graphical representation of an algorithm. Utility programs are special purpose programs that perform system related tasks. The actual list of coded instructions that the computer can load and execute is called a computer program. It may be stored as source code or compiled into machine code, but in both cases it represents the concrete implementation of instructions for the machine.

Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Distinguish between an abstract description of steps and a concrete coded representation. Step 2: Recognise that an algorithm describes a procedure at a conceptual level, not necessarily in code. Step 3: Recognise that a flowchart is a diagrammatic tool used to visualise the algorithm. Step 4: Identify that a computer program is the actual list of coded instructions that the computer can execute. Step 5: Select computer program as the term that directly matches the question.

Verification / Alternative check:
Programming textbooks define a computer program as a sequence of instructions, written in a programming language, that a computer can execute to perform a specific task. In contrast, they define an algorithm as a high level problem solving strategy that may later be implemented as a program. This confirms that the correct term for the list of coded instructions is computer program.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:
Option B, algorithm, is incorrect here because it emphasises the logical procedure rather than the coded implementation. Option C, flowchart, is only a graphical tool to represent logic and is not itself a list of coded instructions. Option D, utility programs, refers to a category of programs that perform specific system tasks but does not describe the general concept requested in the question.

Common Pitfalls:
Learners sometimes use algorithm and program interchangeably, but in technical contexts they have distinct meanings. Another pitfall is to think of a flowchart as executable because it looks like a complete description of behaviour; however, the computer cannot directly execute diagrams and needs a program converted into machine instructions.

Final Answer:
The list of coded instructions that tells the computer what to do is called a computer program.