__________ converts the programs written in assembly language into machine instructions

The tool that converts programs written in assembly language into machine instructions is called an assembler. An assembler translates assembly language, which is a low-level programming language that is slightly more human-readable than machine code, into the binary machine language that a computer's processor can understand and execute.

Assembly language uses mnemonics and symbols which are representative of machine instructions, making it easier for programmers to write and read complex instructions. The assembler processes the source code written in assembly language and generates an object file containing machine code. This machine code is specific to the architecture of the computer on which the program will run. Without assemblers, writing and executing programs in a more manageable form would be significantly more challenging because developers would need to write in raw binary machine code.

In summary, an assembler serves as the critical bridge between assembly language and machine instructions, facilitating better communication between programmers and computer systems.