A Level Computer Science OCR Practice Exam

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What storage medium uses plastic discs with patterns to store data?

Magnetic Storage
Optical Storage
Solid State Storage
Flash Storage

The correct answer is: Optical Storage

The correct answer is optical storage. This type of storage medium utilizes plastic discs, such as CDs, DVDs, and Blu-ray discs, to store data. The data is encoded in the form of microscopic patterns or pits on the surface of these discs. A laser reads these patterns to retrieve the information, which is interpreted by the device playing the disc. Optical storage is particularly notable for its ability to store large amounts of data in a compact form, making it suitable for various applications including music, video, and software distribution. Its reliance on laser technology for reading data differentiates it from magnetic storage, which uses magnetic fields to store data on materials like floppy disks and hard drives. Solid state and flash storage, on the other hand, involve memory chips that store data electronically and do not use physical discs or patterns at all.