Unit 3Part A Computer Memory Computer Technology S1 Obj 23 Memory Memory The area in the computer that temporarily holds data waiting to be processed RAM RAM stands for Random Access Memory ID: 762117
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Unit 3—Part A Computer Memory Computer Technology (S1 Obj 2-3)
MemoryMemory: The area in the computer that temporarily holds data waiting to be processed
RAMRAM stands for Random Access MemoryIt is the memory that holds your data as you manipulate (process) it. The data stays in RAM until you save it.RAM is volatile which means ‘temporary memory.’ No data can be stored in RAM when the power to the computer is off. Data is lost if the computer looses power
RAM continued…The more RAM you have, the more multitasking you can do on your computer. If you don't have enough RAM, you may notice that your computer is sluggish when you have several programs open. Many people add extra RAM to their computers to improve performance.
ROMROM stands for Read Only MemoryROM contains the instructions the computer uses when it ‘boots up’ Because the data is ‘read only’, it can be read but not changed by the user.The data is not erased when the computer is switched off—the data is stored permanently. This is called ‘non-volatile memory’Therefore, ROM is “permanent memory”
Binary CodeBinary code is the language that computers use to communicate and process information. It is a coding system using the 0 and 1 to represent a letter, digit, or symbols in a computer or other electronic device.
BITEach 0 or 1 is called a bitA bit is the smallest unit of information that a computer handles A single bit conveys little meaningful information
BYTEA combination of eight bits is called a byte.One byte (8 bits) represents a single letter, symbol, or digit. A 2 letter word = 2 bytes, 16 bits
KilobyteOne kilobyte (KB) is equal to 1,024 bytesKilo is a prefix meaning thousand Kilobyte = approximately one thousand bytesMost of the user data stored in a computer, such as simple e-mail messages or a text file, occupies storage space of a few kilobytes
MegabyteOne megabyte (MB) is equal to 1,024 KB. Mega = MillionMegabyte = Approximately one million bytesThe amount of information contained in 1 MB is approximately equal to one complete textbook.
GigabyteOne gigabyte (GB) is equal to 1,024 MBGiga = Billion Gigabyte = Approximately one billion bytesSome videos stored on a computer can occupy more than 1 GB of space.
TriviaRemember when 3.5" floppy diskettes were all the rage? It takes 728,178 floppy disks to equal the storage capacity of a 1 GB hard drive.The storage capacity of hard drives today are measured in hundreds of Gigabytes up to a few Terabytes.
TerabyteOne (TB) is equal to 1,024 GBTera = TrillionTerabyte = Approximately one trillion bytesLet's assume we're storing text from magazine pages. At an average 5,000 characters per page, 1TB of disk space could hold 220 million pages of text !
PetabytePetabyte (PB)= approximately one quadrillion bytesGoogle processes approximately 24 petabytes of data each day. AT&T transfers approximately 30 petabytes of data through it’s networks each day. In January 2012, Cray began construction of the Blue Waters Supercomputer, which will have a capacity of 500 petabytes making it the largest storage array ever when it is completed.
ExabyteExabyte (EB) = approximately one quintillion bytesI n the next decade, astronomers expect to be processing 10 petabytes of data every hour from a telescope called the Square Kilometer Array (SKA). The telescope is expected to generate approximately one Exabyte every four days of operation. IBM is currently designing hardware to process this information