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Technology

Computers, hardware, and software

Hardware executes and stores; software gives instructions; the operating system coordinates resources.

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Secondary exploration · university · professional skills

AI-assisted draft · Educator review not completed · Unofficial supplementary resource

Last educator review: none. Content updated: 10 September 2026.

Learning objective

Explain computers, hardware, and software, reproduce the worked example and justify a decision in the case study.

Before you begin

Programming and algorithms

Understand

Hardware executes and stores; software gives instructions; the operating system coordinates resources.

Worked example

RAM holds working data; storage keeps it longer.

Analysis and common mistakes

The processor executes instructions, RAM holds active work, and storage retains files after shutdown. More storage does not automatically fix insufficient RAM.

Case study — reasoning

A device slows with many tabs despite free disk space. Examine memory use and applications before buying storage; the symptom can have multiple causes.

Knowledge check

Summary

Hardware executes and stores; software gives instructions; the operating system coordinates resources.

Sources for further study and verification

AI-assisted draft · Educator review not completed · Unofficial supplementary resource