Technical Terms - Hardware (A-Z) - Hard Disk

What is a hard disk?

• A type of keyboard

• A type of monitor

• A type of data storage device

• A type of printer

What material are hard disk platters made from?

• Glass

• Plastic

• Wood

• Metal

What is the purpose of the thin magnetic coating on hard disk platters?

• To make the platters more durable

• To reduce the weight of the platters

• To make the platters colorful

• To hold a magnetic charge representing binary data

What is the storage capacity of some hard disk platters per square inch?

• A terabyte of data

• A gigabyte of data

• A kilobyte of data

• A megabyte of data

What is the function of the actuator arm in a hard disk?

• Providing power to the disk

• Cooling the disk

• Holding the platters in place

• Detecting and changing the magnetic charges of each grain on the surface

Why are hard disks slower in reading or writing data compared to SSDs?

• Because they are made of different materials

• Because they are more expensive

• Because they are smaller in size

• Because they involve moving parts

What happens if an actuator arm comes in contact with a spinning platter?

• It scratches the surface and damages the disk

• It increases the disk's performance

• It cleans the disk

• It stops the disk from spinning

What do the terms 'hard drive' and 'hard disk drive' refer to?

• The larger device that contains the disk platters, controller chips, and other circuitry

• The platters that store data

• The actuator arm

• The spindle

How many terabytes can a single hard drive hold by stacking several hard disk platters into a spindle?

• More than a dozen terabytes

• One terabyte

• Ten terabytes

• Two terabytes

What is the main advantage of a hard disk over an SSD?

• More durable and less prone to damage

• Smaller physical size

• Faster reading and writing speeds

• Non-volatile storage that continues to store data even when disconnected from power