GCSE OCR COMP 1 Understanding Primary Storage

What are the three broad categories of storage devices?

• RAM, ROM, Cache

• Solid State, Hard Disk, Optical

• Internal, External, Cloud

• Primary, Secondary, Tertiary

Which of the following is considered primary storage?

• RAM

• USB Flash Drive

• DVD

• External Hard Drive

What characteristic differentiates primary storage from secondary storage?

• Volatility

• Physical size

• Data transfer speed

• Cost per GB

Why is RAM considered volatile?

• It can only store data temporarily

• It loses data when power is turned off

• It operates at high temperatures

• It is prone to data corruption

What is the main function of cache memory in a computer system?

• To act as primary storage

• To store user files

• To speed up data access for the CPU

• To serve as backup storage

Which type of storage is typically measured in terabytes?

• Cache memory

• Secondary hard disks

• ROM

• RAM

What makes secondary storage non-volatile?

• It is directly accessible by the CPU

• It requires constant power

• It is faster than primary storage

• It can store data indefinitely without power

Why are tertiary storage devices not covered in the GCSE specification?

• They are not related to computer science

• They are used for backup and archiving

• They are outdated

• They are too complex

What is the main advantage of primary storage over secondary storage?

• Longer lifespan

• Faster access speeds

• Lower cost

• Larger capacity

What is the primary reason for the existence of primary storage despite its smaller capacity?

• It is more durable

• It uses less energy

• It is cheaper than secondary storage

• It has faster access times