Question

differentiate between primary and secondary memory

Answer 1

Semiconductor chips are the principle technology used for primary memory. It’s a memory which is used to store frequently used programs which can be directly accessed by the processing unit for further processing. It’s a volatile memory meaning the data is stored temporarily and is liable to change or lose in case of power failure.

In simple terms, data is intact as long as the computer is running and the moment it’s off, data is lost. Every application on the computer first loads into the random access memory (RAM) which makes is faster to access. The term is more ambiguous, since it also refers to internal memory such as internal storage devices.

 



Secondary Memory

On the contrary, secondary memory is the external memory of the computer which can be used to store data and information on a long-term basis.

It’s a non-volatile memory which means data stays intact even if the computer is turned off. Data cannot be directly processed by the processing unit in secondary memory; in fact, it is first transferred into the main memory and then it’s transferred back to the processing unit.