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T5 Worksheet 5 Secondary Storage Answers

The document discusses different storage devices and their characteristics. It includes tasks about identifying magnetic, optical, and solid state storage types; describing parts of a hard disk and how data is read; comparing vinyl records and CDs; and explaining how a flash memory cell stores data.

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76 views

T5 Worksheet 5 Secondary Storage Answers

The document discusses different storage devices and their characteristics. It includes tasks about identifying magnetic, optical, and solid state storage types; describing parts of a hard disk and how data is read; comparing vinyl records and CDs; and explaining how a flash memory cell stores data.

Uploaded by

pikiblanky
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Answers

Task 1
1. Look at the storage devices in the table below. For each one, tick whether it is magnetic,
optical or solid state.
Solid
Storage device Magnetic Optical
state/flash
Hard disk drive ✔

Blu-ray ✔

CD ROM ✔

USB flash drive ✔

DVD RAM ✔

SSD hard drive ✔

SD card ✔

Floppy disk drive ✔

Backup tape drive ✔

2. There are three different methods that are used to store data.
Name the three different methods.
Magnetic, optical, solid state

1
Task 2
Magnetic hard disks use a solid disk to store data.

(a) Complete the table below to explain the different parts of a magnetic hard disk.

Hard disk part Explanation


Drive head The head sits over one of the many tracks. It reads
data as the disk rotates beneath it.
Actuator Moves the head to different tracks on the disk.
Drive spindle The spindle rotates the disk platter(s).
Platter The disk is called a platter. Hard disks may have more
than one platter to store more data. Some disks have
data on just one side of the platter, others make use of
both sides with the drive head reading both the top and
bottom sides.
Track A platter is split into concentric circles known as tracks.
Sector The platter is divided into sectors which find data within
a track.

(b) Describe the process involved in reading data from a hard disk.
The actuator will move the drive head so that it is over the correct track.
The drive head waits until the disk has spun to the correct sector that contains the data.
The data is read.
Some files are split over more than one location (this is known as fragmentation) – when
this occurs, the drive head will need to move to all the tracks required (as above) one by
one.

2
Task 3
Music used to be commonly sorted on vinyl records before CDs. Both are still in use today.

Research both vinyl records and CDs. Make notes of the similarities and differences between
the two in the table below. The first similarity between the two has been given as an example.

Vinyl records CDs


Similarities ● Makes use of a 12” disk. ● Makes use of a 12 cm disk.
● Stores around an hour of ● Stores around an hour (of
music in stereo uncompressed) music in
● Make use of one continuous stereo
groove (not concentric circles) ● Has one continuous path of
data for the laser to follow
Differences ● Analogue recording ● Digital recording
● Needle physical touches the ● Laser reflects off the disk;
disk to read it nothing physically touches it
● Spins at 45 or 75 rpm – this is ● Spins at around 200-500 rpm
a constant angular speed (the with a constant linear speed
time it takes for one (the number of bits that pass
revolution) past the laser per second)

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Task 4
The following shows a diagram of one memory cell inside a flash memory unit.

(a) Label the diagram to show:


● The isolation layers
● The floating gate
● The control gate

(b) How is it possible for such a flash memory unit to store data?
Electrons can be stored in the floating gate. They cannot escape through the isolation layer,
but they are able to prevent electrical current going from the source to the drain.
If electrons are in the floating gate, it is storing a 0. If electrons are not in the floating gate, it
stores a 1.

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