1.2 memory and storage

Question 1

Secondary Storage is…

Answer 1

non-volatile storage where all data is stored when not in use.

Question 2

Solid State benefits

Answer 2

Large storage capacity
Fast data access and faster read\write times
Compact / lightweight
Robust / Durable

Question 3

HDD (Magnetic) Benefits

Answer 3

Large storage capacity (often larger than SSDs)
Cost to purchase is low
Longer Read/write life than SSDs
Reliable

Question 4

Optical Benefits

Answer 4

very cheap per GB
portable
shock-proof and water-proof

Question 5

Flash Memory used in…

Answer 5

SSDs. Flash memory is non-volatile memory that can be read from and written to.

Question 6

Solid State Drawbacks

Answer 6

expensive
tend to be smaller in capacity than other types

Question 7

HDD (Magnetic) Drawbacks

Answer 7

susceptible to damage if dropped
vulnerable to magnetic fields

Question 8

Optical Drawbacks

Answer 8

Low Capacity
Very slow read/write speed
Poor reliability
Easily scratched

Question 9

What are magnetic tapes?

Answer 9

Type of Magnetic Storage
Massive storage capacity
Slow when finding specific data, fast read/write speed when in the correct place.

Question 10

What are HDDs typically used for?

Answer 10

Long-term storage of programs and data

Question 11

What are SSDs typically used for?

Answer 11

Long-term storage of programs and data where high performance is required

Question 12

Virtual Memory is…

Answer 12

Virtual memory is the use of secondary storage as additional primary memory

Question 13

Why is Virtual Memory used?

Answer 13

when the amount of RAM needed to hold all running programs and data is greater than the amount of RAM available to the computer.

Question 14

What is the process ‘swapping’

Answer 14

When the data on the hard disk is needed again, any other unused data is transferred to the hard disk before the original data is transferred back to RAM.

Question 15

Why does using virtual memory make the computer slow?

Answer 15

the processor has to wait while data is swapped between hard disk and RAM. As secondary storage devices have slower access times than RAM, the computer’s processing performance can be severely impaired.

Question 16

increasing size of RAM will…

Answer 16

Processing performance can be improved by increasing the size of the RAM, thereby reducing the need for virtual memory.

Question 17

When deciding on the type of device needed, a user should consider:

Answer 17

Cost
Capacity
Speed of access
Portability
Durability
Reliability

Question 18

What is RAM?

Answer 18

Random access memory (RAM) is volatile primary memory. Once the computer is switched off, the data and instructions held in RAM are lost

Question 19

How does ROM differ from RAM?

Answer 19

ROM is read only and non-volatile. RAM can be read from and written to and is volatile.

Question 20

What is ROM?

Answer 20

Read only memory (ROM) is non-volatile primary memory. Its contents are not lost when the computer is turned off. ROM can be read from, but not written to, hence the term ‘read only’.

Question 21

Programs stored in ROM include…

Answer 21

The BIOS (Basic Input Output System)

Question 22

What is the BIOS’s purpose?

Answer 22

It checks that the hardware is functioning correctly, then runs a second program known as the bootup or bootstrap program that loads the computer’s operating system from the hard drive into the RAM.