[1.1.3] | 1: Memory

Question 1

What is Main Memory?

Answer 1

Memory locations directly accessible by the processor.

Question 2

What is secondary storage?

Answer 2

• The storage in which not currently in use data can stored long-term.

Question 3

What is RAM?

Answer 3

• Volatile Memory

• Where currently running programs & data are temporarily stored

• (Directly addressable by the CPU and therefore has much faster read/write speeds than any secondary storage)

Question 4

What is ROM?

Answer 4

• Non-volatile memory.

• Read-only so cannot be written to.

• Offers much less storage than RAM.

Question 5

What is firmware and why might it be stored in ROM?

Answer 5

• Manages communication between software and hardware.

• Firmware rarely needs to be changed.

Question 6

Define the function of BIOS.

Answer 6

• Initialises hardware & ensures it works.
• Loads the OS into RAM and hands over control.

Question 7

What is Virtual Memory?

Answer 7

• Secondary storage assigned as RAM by the OS.

• Much slower than RAM so only used when RAM is full.

• OS splits RAM into pages/segments and sends less useful ones into virtual memory until they’re needed. (To free up space for useful programs)