Which statement best describes the difference between primary storage and secondary storage?

Which statement best describes the difference between primary storage and secondary storage?

• A. Primary storage is non-volatile and used for long-term data storage.
• B. Primary storage (RAM) is fast, volatile memory used by the CPU during operation, while secondary storage (HDD/SSD) is non-volatile and used for long-term data storage.
• C. Primary storage stores only system files; secondary stores applications.
• D. Primary storage is external; secondary storage is internal.

Answer: (B)

Primary storage refers to RAM, a fast, volatile memory that the CPU uses to hold data and instructions while a program runs. Because it is volatile, its contents disappear when power is removed. Secondary storage includes devices like hard drives and solid-state drives that keep data even when the computer is off; they are non-volatile and provide long-term storage, but are slower to access than RAM. The statement that best describes the difference is the one that characterizes RAM as fast, volatile memory used during operation, with HDD/SSD being non-volatile and used for long-term storage. The other options misstate volatility, purpose, or where these storage types reside in the system.

Primary storage refers to RAM, a fast, volatile memory that the CPU uses to hold data and instructions while a program runs. Because it is volatile, its contents disappear when power is removed. Secondary storage includes devices like hard drives and solid-state drives that keep data even when the computer is off; they are non-volatile and provide long-term storage, but are slower to access than RAM. The statement that best describes the difference is the one that characterizes RAM as fast, volatile memory used during operation, with HDD/SSD being non-volatile and used for long-term storage. The other options misstate volatility, purpose, or where these storage types reside in the system.