1.2.1

Question 1

primary storage

Answer 1

can be contacted directly by the CPU

Question 2

what are some examples of primary storage?

Answer 2

RAM, ROM, registers, cache

Question 3

what is the need for primary storage?

Answer 3

very fast access times compared to secondary storage

Question 4

volatile

Answer 4

the data is lost when power is turned off

Question 5

non-volatile

Answer 5

the data is retained when the power is turned off

Question 6

what does primary storage hold?

Answer 6

holds the instructions which the CPU needs to access when a computer is running

Question 7

RAM

Answer 7

stores currently used data, volatile, stores operating system

Question 8

ROM

Answer 8

stores programs needed to start a computer (boot up program), non volatile, programmed at manufacture

Question 9

what does adding more RAM to a computer do?

Answer 9

improves performance as memory is more accessible

Question 10

what is virtual memory?

Answer 10

-when RAM is full sections of the hard disk can be used
-it can be accessed by the CPU and is volatile
-data and programs that aren’t currently in use in RAM are moved into virtual memory

Question 11

what are some disadvantages of virtual memory?

Answer 11

-it’s much slower to access
-performance of the CPU slows if virtual memory is used a lot

Question 12

what is hard disk thrashing?

Answer 12

the constant switching between RAM and virtual memory