1.

3 - Storage Revision Workbook

Explain the need for secondary storage

What is meant by data capacity and calculation of data capacity requirements

Calculating text files - What is the calculation for a text file that is created? Give an
example - A text file with 220 words

Calculating database files - Use the table to calculate the following:

a database record has 4 fields:
FirstName (text up to 10 characters)
Surname (text up to 10 characters)
DateOfBirth
NumberOfChildren

The database will need to store 100 records.

Calculating image file sizes - What is the calculation for a text file that is created? Give an
example - An image that is 1000 x 200 pixels, with 1 byte per pixel

Calculating sound file sizes - What is the calculation for a sound file that is created? Give
an example - A sound file that has 1 byte per sample, it takes 2 samples per second, over
1 channel and is 600 seconds long

Explain common types of storage:optical, magnetic, solid state

Storage Type Explanation and advantages and Examples
disadvantages
 1.3 - Storage Revision Workbook
Optical

Magnetic

Solid State

Recommend suitable storage devices and storage media for a given application, and the
advantages and disadvantages of these, using characteristics:
capacity
speed
portability
durability
reliability
cost.

Type of
Scenario Justification including advantages and disadvantages
Storage
A student needs to
bring their homework
into school
A media student needs
to store a video they
have made to distribute
to their friends
A software developer
has created a trial
version of their
software that will be
given away in magazine
A school needs to
back-up its data every
evening

EXAM QUESTIONS
QUESTION 1
Vicky has been on holiday and has taken lots of photos. The memory in her camera
is now full and she needs to transfer her photos to an external secondary storage
device. Define what is meant by ‘secondary storage’.

[1]
Identify three common storage technologies Vicky can choose from.
 1.3 - Storage Revision Workbook
[3]

State four characteristics of secondary storage devices that Vicky should consider
when choosing a device.

[4]
QUESTION 3
Most computer systems use at least one storage device. Explain one reason why
a secondary storage device is needed in most computer systems.

[2]
Some secondary storage devices are magnetic and others are solid state.
Describe the characteristics of magnetic and solid state secondary storage. The
quality of written communication will be assessed in your answer to this question

[6]
QUESTION 4
Apu has a handheld e-book reader that allows him to store and read electronic
books. Types of secondary storage devices are magnetic, optical or solid state.
State which type of storage is most suitable for storing the electronic books inside
the e-book reader.

[2]
Explain one reason why this type of storage is the most
suitable.

[2]
Apu gets a free e-book on a CD-ROM from a magazine. Give two reasons why a CD-
ROM is suitable in this case.

[2]
State whether a CD-ROM is magnetic, optical or solid state
storage.

[1]
QUESTION 5
 1.3 - Storage Revision Workbook
A computer has 1024 megabytes of RAM. How many gigabytes of RAM does the
computer have?

[1]

Question 1: Which of the following is not a type of storage. (1/2) ✔

Optical

Magnetic

Solid State

Hard Drive

Question 2: What type of storage is a DVD ROM? (1/2) ✔

Optical

Magnetic

Solid State

It is not a storage device

Question 3: What type of storage is a USB memory stick? (4/5) ✔

Optical

Magnetic

Solid State

It is not a storage device

Question 4: What type of storage is a SSD card? (4/5) ✔

Optical

Magnetic

Solid State

It is not a storage device

Question 5: What type of storage is a HDD? (4/5) ✔

Optical
 1.3 - Storage Revision Workbook
Magnetic

Solid State

It is not a storage device

Question 6: Which of the following types of storage would likely access its data the fastest? (4- ✔
6)

Optical

Magnetic

Solid State

It is not a storage device

Question 7: Which of the following types of storage is the most durable? (9) ✔

Optical

Magnetic

Solid State

They are all the same

Question 8: Which of the following types of storage is the most expensive per MB/GB? (9) ✔

Optical

Magnetic

Solid State

They are all the same

Question 9: Why is a Hard Disk Drive (HDD) not very portable? (9) ✔

It has moving parts

It is too large

It will break if you touch it

It is too small

Question 10: Why does a laptop need secondary storage? (1/2) ✔

To backup files to move to another computer

To store data, files and software for future use

To storage programs that are currently running

 1.3 - Storage Revision Workbook
To store data that the processor needs

Question 11: Which type of storage uses lasers to write the data? (4/5) ✔

Optical

Magnetic

Solid state

All types

Question 12: The types of storage are listed below from fastest to slowest. Which order is ✔
correct? (9)

Solid State, Optical, Magnetic

Optical, Magnetic, Solid State

Magnetic, Optical, Solid State

Solid State, Magnetic, Optical

Question 13: The types of storage are listed below from least expensive per GB to the most ✔
expensive per GB. Which order is correct? (9)

Solid State, Optical, Magnetic

Optical, Magnetic, Solid State

Magnetic, Optical, Solid State

Solid State, Magnetic, Optical

Question 14: The types of storage are listed below from the most reliable to the least reliable per ✔
GB. Which order is correct? (9)

Solid State, Optical, Magnetic

Optical, Magnetic, Solid State

Magnetic, Optical, Solid State

Solid State, Magnetic, Optical

Question 15: How many bytes are there per character in a text file? (1/2) ✔

0.5

1.5

2
 1.3 - Storage Revision Workbook
Question 16: Which is the smallest of these data capacities? (4/5) ✔

2 KB

2049 bytes

0.5 MB

3gb

Question 17: Which is the largest of these data capacities? (9) ✔

2048 MB

2 GB

2050 MB

100000 KB

Question 18: Which formulae can be used to estimate the file size of an image? ✔
(7-9)

number of pixels * number of bytes per pixel

number of pixels * 1.1

number of pixels wide * number of pixels high * number of bytes per pixel * 1.1

number of pixels wide * number of bytes per pixel * number of pixels * 1.1

Question 19: Which formulae can be used to estimate the file size of a sound file? ✔
(7-9)

bytes per sample * channels * height + number of minutes

samples per second * number of seconds * 1.1

samples per second * bytes per sample * duration

samples per second * samples per second * channels * duration

Question 20: How many bytes are needed to store 32769 different colours? (9) ✔