PRIMARY STORAGE AND

SECONDARY STORAGE
WHAT IS PRIMARY STORAGE

• is the computer’s main memory that consists of the

random access memory (RAM) and read-only memory
(ROM), both of which are directly accessible by the CPU.
STORAGE DEVICE

• is any optical, magnetic or memory-style device capable

of information storage functions in a computer system.
STORAGE MEDIUM

• is the material in a storage device that retains the stored

information (such as the magnetic material on the surface
of a hard drive)
HOW STORAGE CAPACITY IS
MEASURED
• Digital data is stored and transferred from one hardware
component to another during its transformation.
• Digital data is stored as binary values – zeros and ones –
and the capacity of data storage containers is measured in
bytes and its multiples.
BIT - BYTE

• A bit is a binary digit, taking a value of either 0 or 1.

• A byte is a collection of eight bits that is referenced as a
single unit. One byte of data is required to store a
character such as A, x or $
WORD - WORD SIZE

• A word is a group of two or more bytes that is stored in

one location and manipulated by the processor in one
instruction cycle.
• The word size is the number of bits that make up a word.
THE RELATIONSHIP AMONG THE VARIOUS
MEASUREMENT UNITS
EXAMPLE