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Unit 2 | Apps and the Internet

Searching the Internet

Previous content that will be useful to know

This section relies on information contained in the previous sections listed below. If you find this section difficult to understand, it may help to go back and review these past sections. Click on a link to go to the prerequisite section, or use the menu.

Tools used to search the internet

After reading about websites, web pages, and web addresses, you may have questions like:

  • How do I visit a website?
  • Do I have to know the address of a web page I want to visit? That seems like a lot to memorize.
  • Do I have to remember the addresses of web pages I've been to so I can go back to them later?

A web browser and a search engine can handle all of these tasks for you. There is no memorizing of addresses necessary!

What is a web browser?

A web browser is a tool that provides you the ability to browse web pages on the internet. There will almost always be a web browser available on any computer, phone, or tablet you are using.

You use a web browser to navigate to various websites on the internet. If you have the web address you want to go to, you can type that in and go straight to the web page. However, you often won’t know the address of a specific page that has the information you want. Instead of going directly to a web page, you can use the browser to search for keywords related to what you are looking for. It will provide you with a list of web pages that are likely to be relevant to your search. We will show an example of this later.

Some commonly used web browsers and their icons are shown below. They all have similar features, but are owned and created by different companies.

Common web browsers and their icons.

Opening a web browser

When you want to go to a web page, you will have to open a web browser first. This involves locating the icon of a web browser on your screen and clicking on it. Any of the example browsers above will work, but we will be using Google Chrome for example purposes.


Note: Where exactly you can find a web browser icon on your device will vary depending on what kind of device you have. A web browser is a type of app, and there are more details about opening and closing apps in part 2 of this section.


After clicking a web browser icon, you would see a window like the one below pop up on your screen. A window is a rectangular section of your screen that displays information.

Google Chrome Window.

One of the most common things you use a web browser for is making searches. You make a search when you want information but you don’t know what web address to find it at.

Google Chrome window with search bar and address bar annotated.

In the image above, the search bar is labeled in red. If you click on this area, type in words on your keyboard, and then hit the enter key, you will initiate a search of the internet for whatever you have typed. Many web browsers also allow you to make searches in the address bar just like in the search bar.

If you want to know what the weather is in Vancouver, you could type “Vancouver weather” in the search bar or address bar and then hit the enter key. This is what you might see when you make this search:

Google search for "Vancouver weather"

The results show previews of different web pages that relate to what was searched. To open one of these pages, you would click on the web page title which is blue. If you have visited a page before, it would be purple instead of blue.

A search engine is the system that takes the words you searched and finds relevant web pages. The most commonly used search engine is operated by the company Google, which is why people often say they are “googling something” when they are searching for something on the internet.

When making searches, it is most effective to only enter the keywords that relate to your search. For instance, it would be more effective to look up “weather vancouver” compared to “what is the weather in vancouver today?

Test your understanding

Which is the best browser that everyone should use?

Google Chrome

This is a good web broswer, but it is not the best one.

Firefox

This is a good web broswer, but it is not the best one.

Safari

This is a good web broswer, but it is not the best one. Also, it is only available on devices made by the company Apple, so not everyone can use it.

There is no one best browser. It is up to personal preference.

Correct

Some people have a strong preference for one web browser, but there is no objective answer for which is the best. They all perform the same basic functions, so you can use any of them.


If you are looking for a pizza restaurant in Vancouver, what should you search on Google:

Where can I find pizza in Vancouver?

This search could be more concise, as only the key words "pizza" and "Vancouver" are important. However, this search is an OK option and would probably still return the desired results from most search engines.

Best pizza restaurants

This search is a bit vague and you may get search results from many places other than Vancouver. The place name Vancouver is an important key word to include.

vancouver pizza places

This is a concise search with all the neccessary key words! Some other good searches would be "Best pizza vancouver" or "pizza restaurants Vanouver."

Google, can you please tell me where the best pizza restaurant in Vancouver is? Thank you.

This is a very polite but long-winded way to word the question. Only the keywords "pizza" and "Vancouver" are important, and maybe also the words "best" and "restaurant." The other words are unneccessary at best, and may give you the wrong search results at worst.