What is Memory?

It is the computer's workspace (physically, a collection of RAM chips). It is an important resource, since it determines the size and number of programs that can be run at the same time, as well as the amount of data that can be processed instantly. All program execution and data processing takes place in memory. The program's instructions are copied into memory from disk or tape and then extracted from memory into the control unit circuit for analysis and execution. The instructions direct the computer to input data into memory from a keyboard, disk, tape or communication channel. As data is entered into memory, the previous contents of that space are lost. Once the data is in memory, it can be processed (calculated, compared and copied). The results are sent to a screen, printer, disk, tape or communication channel. The size of memory is measured by the number of bytes available for use. A kilobyte of memory, abbreviated KB or K, is equal to exactly 1,024 bytes. To make storage definitions easier to identify, computer users often round a kilobyte down to 1,000 bytes. For example, ii a memory chip can store 100 KB, it is said to hold 100,000 bytes (characters). A megabyte, abbreviated MB, is equal to approximately as one million bytes. Memory are of two types :
RAM= RAM stands for read only memory. RAM functions as a scratch pad for the computer and is sometimes called the scratch pad memory.

ROM= The ROM contains permanently recorded instructions that are vital for starting up a computer. One set of instruction found in ROM is called ROM-BIOS, that stands for read-only memory. Any set of programs residing in ROM is called firmware.

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