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OCR H446 1.1.3 Magnetic, flash and optical storage selection

Part 2 of 6 · H446 1.1.3 · Input, output and storage

OCR H446 1.1.3: Magnetic, flash and optical storage selection. Students learn to distinguish storage type from device and make recommendations by linking the scenario need, a relevant property and why it matters.

Students will:

  • distinguish storage types from devices
  • link a scenario need to a relevant storage property
  • evaluate competing storage designs

Inside: 5 explanation cells, 1 multiple-choice question, 2 fill-in-the-blanks cells and 3 written answers. 34 marks, about 50 to 65 minutes.

Series: H446 1.1.3 · Input, output and storage, part 2 of 6.

Shared by Coding PathwayVerified teacher

  • 11 cells
  • About 60 minutes
  • CC BY-SA 4.0
  • Shared 31 Aug 2026
  • Updated 3 Sept 2026

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The whole resource, exactly as a class sees it. Answers and marking are held back.

Magnetic, flash and optical storage selection

Questions may ask for the type of storage rather than a particular device. A hard disk drive is a device using magnetic storage; an SSD or memory card uses flash; a disc uses optical storage.

Type, example and how to justify a choice

How to justify a storage recommendation type is not the same as a product name magneticlarge capacitylow cost per unitmoving parts in HDDse.g. hard disk drive flashno moving partslow power, fast accesshigher cost per capacitye.g. SSD or memory card opticalportable physical mediumcheap to distributelower capacity/speede.g. disc justify the choicescenario needwhat matters?propertyrelevant factwhy it matterseffect herechoose a type and state a trade-offA true fact is useful only when it affects this situation.

Characteristics are relative and implementation-dependent, so use typically, tends to and the supplied constraints. A true property earns nothing if it does not affect the scenario.

Worked recommendation: autonomous river sampler

The sampler writes measurements every second, operates from a small battery, is jolted by water movement and is collected monthly. Flash storage is the strongest choice because it has no moving parts, so repeated movement is less likely to damage the storage; it also uses relatively little power, helping the unit run for the required month. Magnetic storage may offer cheaper high capacity, but that is not decisive when the data volume is modest and motion/power dominate.

The reasoning is not “flash is best”. It explains that movement and limited battery power matter, links those needs to no moving parts and low power use, and then shows why flash suits this sampler.

Multiple choice1 mark

A fixed media archive needs to store many terabytes cheaply and is never moved while operating. Which is the strongest first reason for magnetic storage?

  • ANo moving parts during travel
  • BLarge capacity at relatively low cost per unit of storage
  • CEasy physical sale on read-only discs
  • DThe word magnetic sounds permanent
Fill in the blanks4 marks
Begin with what the scenario gap 1, select a relevant storage gap 2, explain why that property gap 3, then make and support the final gap 4.
  • needs
  • property
  • matters
  • choice
  • brand
Written answer12 marks

Recommend magnetic, flash or optical storage for each situation. For every recommendation, give one decisive property, explain why it matters here and state one trade-off.

  1. A fixed, low-cost video archive holding very large files.
  2. A battery-powered wildlife camera moved between locations.
  3. A small read-only training package sold on a cheap physical medium.

Expected choices are magnetic, flash and optical, but credit a different type when assumptions and constraints make it defensible. Each situation is worth 4 marks.

Students type their answer here.

Evaluate competing designs

When several needs compete, compare how each design meets them. More than one design can be defended when its assumptions and trade-offs are explained.

Written answer9 marks

A studio workstation needs fast access to current 4K projects and also a low-cost store for completed projects. Compare a flash-only design, a magnetic-only design and a mixed design. Reach a conclusion from speed, capacity, cost and failure/backup assumptions.

More than one design is defensible when its assumptions are explicit. Do not treat one drive as a backup merely because it is large.

Students type their answer here.

Written answer4 marks

A question asks for a storage type. A student answers ‘USB stick because it is portable’. Rewrite this as a type-level answer and explain when portability is and is not relevant.

Name flash as the type, then connect a device example only if useful.

Students type their answer here.

Fill in the blanks4 marks
Magnetic, flash and optical are storage checkpoint gap 1. An HDD or SSD is a checkpoint gap 2 example. A property is useful in an answer only when the student explains why it checkpoint gap 3 in the scenario; no type is universally checkpoint gap 4.

Consolidate your understanding

Check that every answer names a storage type, selects a relevant property, explains why that property matters in the situation and states an important trade-off or condition.