Which encryption technique shifts every letter by a fixed number of positions in the alphabet?

Prepare for the CodeHS AP Computer Science Principles Exam with multiple choice questions, detailed explanations, and helpful hints. Boost your confidence and get ready for your exam!

Multiple Choice

Which encryption technique shifts every letter by a fixed number of positions in the alphabet?

Explanation:
Shifting every letter by a fixed number of positions in the alphabet is a substitution method where each letter maps to another letter a constant distance away. This is the Caesar cipher, the classic example of a fixed-shift technique (for instance, a shift of 3 turns A into D, B into E, and so on). It’s specific to the idea of a consistent, single-step move for every letter, which is what distinguishes it from other concepts. Big Data isn’t about encoding, cipher is a general term for encoded text, and encryption is the broader process of turning plaintext into ciphertext using various methods—none of which specifies a fixed shift like the Caesar cipher. So the technique described is the Caesar cipher.

Shifting every letter by a fixed number of positions in the alphabet is a substitution method where each letter maps to another letter a constant distance away. This is the Caesar cipher, the classic example of a fixed-shift technique (for instance, a shift of 3 turns A into D, B into E, and so on). It’s specific to the idea of a consistent, single-step move for every letter, which is what distinguishes it from other concepts. Big Data isn’t about encoding, cipher is a general term for encoded text, and encryption is the broader process of turning plaintext into ciphertext using various methods—none of which specifies a fixed shift like the Caesar cipher. So the technique described is the Caesar cipher.

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