Planned Homework 3 - Secondary Storage

What is the main purpose of Secondary Storage?

• To permanently store data and instructions to be accessed later

• To temporarily store data and instructions while the CPU is working on them

• To speed up the transfer of data around the computer system

How do optical drives read data?

• The disk has a groove that a needle follows.

• Tiny ion particles are checked with a magnet.

• A laser is shone on the surface of the disk.

Advantages and Disadvantages of Optical Media

Groups:

(a) Advantages

,

(b) Disadvantages

• Portable

• Prone to scratches

• Cheap

• Light Weight

• Slow Access Times

How do Magnetic Hard Drives read data?

• A read-write head moves over a platter and checks the position of magnetised Ion Particles

• A read-write head moves over a platter and checks a groove scratched into the surface

• A read-write head moves over a platter and checks if a laser is reflected or not

What is one disadvantage of Magnetic storage

• It has a small storage capacity

• It is very expensive

• It will eventually break over time due to moving parts

Put the devices under the correct heading

Groups:

(a) Solid State

,

(b) Magnetic

,

(c) Optical

• Hard Disk Drive

• USB Flash Drive

• CD

Summarise your learning in a single sentence.