Hard disk drive (HDD)
Name:
Date:
Class:
A
Quick Questions
Shade in the A or B circle for each question.
1. Which describes how a hard disk drive stores data?
2. What reads and writes data on an HDD?
3. Compared with an SSD, an HDD is usually...
4. Why do many servers and desktops still use HDDs?
5. Which statement about HDD moving parts is true?
B
Match the Pairs
Draw a line connecting each item on the left to its match on the right.
| Left column | Right column | |
|---|---|---|
| 1HDD | AThis describes optical storage. An HDD stores data magnetically on its platters. | |
| 2platter | BHDD: platters spin + heads move | |
| 3An HDD has moving parts, so it is slower and more fragile than flash storage | CHDD: 4 TB at low cost per GB | |
| 4An HDD gives large capacity at low cost, so it suits desktops, laptops and servers | DA spinning magnetic disc inside an HDD where the data is stored | |
| 5An HDD has no moving parts, so it is faster than flash. | EAn HDD does have moving parts (spinning platters and moving read/write heads). This makes it slower and more fragile than flash, not faster. | |
| 6An HDD stores data using light from a laser on pits and lands. | FHard disk drive: a magnetic storage device with spinning platters and moving read/write heads |
C
Definitions
HDD
D
Fill in the Blanks
Complete each line of code by filling in the missing parts.
1.
An HDD stores data on spinning ________.
2.
The read/write ____ moves over the platter.
3.
An HDD is a ________ storage device.
4.
An HDD has ______ parts, so it is fragile.
5.
HDDs give large capacity at ___ cost.
E
Spot the Error
Shade in the letter of the line that contains an error.
Question 1
A
drive = "HDD"
B
storage = "magnetic"
C
moving_parts = False
D
print(drive, storage)
Question 2
A
class HDD:
B
storage = "magnetic"
C
platters = "spinning"
D
heads = "fixed"
Question 3
A
capacity = "large"
B
cost = "high"
C
print("HDD", capacity, cost)
Question 4
A
hdd_speed = 100
B
ssd_speed = 500
C
if hdd_speed > ssd_speed:
D
print("HDD is slower")
Question 5
A
dropped = True
B
if dropped:
C
risk = "low"
D
print("HDD risk:", risk)
Answer Key
Hard disk drive (HDD)
Section A: Quick Questions
Q1
A — Magnetically, on spinning platters
Q2
A — A moving read/write head
Q3
A — Slower and more fragile
Q4
B — Large capacity at low cost
Q5
B — The platters spin and the heads move across them
Section B: Match the Pairs
Q1
HDD → Hard disk drive: a magnetic storage device with spinning platters and moving read/write heads
Q2
platter → A spinning magnetic disc inside an HDD where the data is stored
Q3
An HDD has moving parts, so it is slower and more fragile than flash storage → HDD: platters spin + heads move
Q4
An HDD gives large capacity at low cost, so it suits desktops, laptops and servers → HDD: 4 TB at low cost per GB
Q5
An HDD has no moving parts, so it is faster than flash. → An HDD does have moving parts (spinning platters and moving read/write heads). This makes it slower and more fragile than flash, not faster.
Q6
An HDD stores data using light from a laser on pits and lands. → This describes optical storage. An HDD stores data magnetically on its platters.
Section C: Definitions
Q1
HDD — Hard disk drive: a magnetic storage device with spinning platters and moving read/write heads. It gives large capacity at low cost, but is slower and more fragile than flash.Section D: Fill in the Blanks
Q1
An HDD stores data on spinning platters.Q2
The read/write head moves over the platter.Q3
An HDD is a magnetic storage device.Q4
An HDD has moving parts, so it is fragile.Q5
HDDs give large capacity at low cost.Section E: Spot the Error
Q1
C — An HDD has moving parts: spinning platters and moving read/write heads. The line should be moving_parts = True.
Q2
D — The read/write heads of an HDD move across the platters. They are not fixed. It should be heads = "moving".
Q3
B — HDDs give large capacity at low cost. The line should be cost = "low".
Q4
C — An HDD is slower than flash (SSD) storage, so its speed is less than the SSD's. The condition should use <, not >.
Q5
C — An HDD is fragile because of its moving parts. If it is dropped, the risk of damage is high, so it should be risk = "high".