Which term describes non-volatile storage such as disks used for long-term data storage?

• A. RAM
• B. Secondary storage
• C. Cloud storage
• D. Virtual memory

Answer: (B)

Non-volatile storage that keeps data when the computer is off and is used to hold information long term is called secondary storage. This covers disks and similar hardware like hard drives and SSDs, which store your files and programs even when power isn’t applied. It contrasts with RAM, which is volatile and forgets its contents when the power is off, and with virtual memory, which uses disk space to extend RAM rather than to provide long-term storage. Cloud storage is also persistent, but it’s a service model rather than the hardware term for local storage—so the best fit for describing disks used for long-term storage is secondary storage.