Differentiate between volatile and non-volatile storage and give two examples of each.

• A. Volatile storage includes SSDs and USB drives; non-volatile includes RAM.
• B. Volatile storage loses data when power is removed and includes RAM and cache; non-volatile retention includes SSDs/HDDs.
• C. Volatile storage never loses data; non-volatile loses data when powered off.
• D. Volatile storage is permanent; non-volatile is temporary.

Answer: (B)

The key idea is how data is stored in a way that either needs power to stay or can survive without power. Volatile storage loses its data when power is removed, so it’s used for temporary, fast-access tasks. Examples include RAM and cache memory, which vanish when the computer is turned off. Non-volatile storage keeps data without power, so files and programs persist after shutdown. Common examples are solid-state drives and hard disk drives.

In the correct description, volatile storage is defined as losing data when power is removed and includes RAM and cache, while non-volatile storage retains data and includes SSDs and HDDs. Other choices misstate which types hold data without power (or imply volatile never loses data), so they don’t fit.