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1CP2-P-3.6 Secondary storage technologies and selection
Part 6 of 7 · 1CP2-P-3 · Architecture and storage
The storage worksheet, comparing the three technologies against explicit criteria and then choosing between them.
Students will:
- describe how magnetic, solid-state and optical media store bits
- compare technologies using speed and physical durability
- select and justify a technology from the requirements of a scenario
- construct an expression for a total storage requirement
- evaluate a broad claim such as always choosing the fastest drive
Inside: 7 explanation cells, 3 multiple-choice questions, 2 fill-in-the-blanks cells and 4 written answers. 19 marks, about 45 minutes.
Series: 1CP2-P-3 · Architecture and storage, part 6 of 7.
Shared by Coding PathwayVerified teacher
- 16 cells
- About 45 minutes
- CC BY-SA 4.0
- Shared 17 Aug 2026
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The whole resource, exactly as a class sees it. Answers and marking are held back.
Secondary storage technologies and selection
Secondary storage keeps programs and data when power is removed. It is needed because RAM is volatile and usually has less capacity for long-term storage.
Pearson requires three technology families: magnetic, optical and solid state. A justified choice must connect a technology's properties to the stated purpose.
1. How each technology stores bits
- Magnetic: regions on a coated surface are magnetised in different directions/states and read by a head. Examples include hard disk drives and magnetic tape.
- Optical: a laser reads differences in reflective patterns on a disc. Examples include CD, DVD and Blu-ray.
- Solid state: electronic circuits store data persistently with no moving parts. Examples include SSDs, USB flash drives and memory cards.
All three are non-volatile. You need the storage method and useful properties, not detailed semiconductor physics.
- circuits
- laser
- magnetised
- paper
- volatile
Why is secondary storage needed in a computer system?
- AIt replaces every CPU register.
- BIt retains programs and data without power.
- CIt supplies clock pulses.
- DIt carries addresses to RAM.
2. Compare using explicit criteria
| Technology | Typical capacity | Typical speed | Portability and physical features |
|---|---|---|---|
| Magnetic HDD | high for cost | slower than SSD | moving parts; external versions portable but vulnerable to shock |
| Magnetic tape | very high, low cost | slow sequential access | removable cartridges; suited to offline archives |
| Optical disc | lower | comparatively slow | light and removable; needs a compatible drive |
| Solid-state SSD | high | fast | no moving parts; compact and shock resistant |
| USB flash / card | varies | varies | very portable and easy to misplace |
These are typical comparisons, not absolute laws. A specific model can differ, so match the stated evidence and purpose.
Compare a magnetic hard disk drive with a solid-state drive using speed and physical durability.
Make paired statements under the same criteria.
Students type their answer here.
3. Select and justify
Use a three-part justification:
- identify a requirement from the scenario;
- name a relevant property of the chosen storage;
- explain how that property meets the requirement.
Example: an offline weekly archive needs very high capacity at low cost and is rarely accessed, so magnetic tape is suitable because its slow sequential access matters less than its archive capacity and cost.
A wildlife camera is carried over rough ground and needs compact removable storage with no moving parts. Which is most suitable?
- AInternal magnetic tape drive
- BOptical disc
- CSolid-state memory card
- DDesktop hard disk drive
A school needs a low-cost offline archive of very large backup sets. Access will be rare and slow retrieval is acceptable. Select a storage technology and justify it with two linked requirements.
Name the technology, then connect capacity/cost and access pattern to its properties.
Students type their answer here.
4. Calculate a storage requirement
Storage requirements use multiplication. If each record uses 40 bytes and there are 300 records, the data requires 40 × 300 = 12,000 bytes before any additional metadata or compression.
Keep the unit throughout. Convert units only when the question requires it.
- 12,000
- 24 + 500
- 24 × 500
- bits
- bytes
A recorder creates 60 files, each 8 MiB. Construct an expression and calculate the total storage requirement in MiB.
Multiply file count by size per file.
Students type their answer here.
5. Avoid broad claims
No technology is simply 'best'. Speed, capacity, portability, durability, cost and access pattern can point towards different choices. Optical is not automatically the most portable merely because a disc is removable; the user also needs a compatible drive. Solid state has no moving parts, but that does not make every device unlimited or impossible to lose.
A student says, 'Use an SSD for every backup because it is fastest.' Evaluate this claim.
Acknowledge the benefit, then consider at least one other requirement.
Students type their answer here.
Which statement accurately describes optical storage?
- AIt stores data only while power is supplied.
- BIt uses a laser to read reflective patterns on a disc.
- CIt requires magnetised tape to access each file.
- DIt always has higher capacity than magnetic tape.
Route forward
You can explain storage mechanisms, compare named criteria, calculate requirements and justify a choice. The final worksheet consolidates architecture and storage as a principles-only checkpoint.