Which statement about RAM is true?

• A. It stores permanent instructions for the BIOS
• B. It is Read Only Memory that cannot be changed
• C. Random Access Memory; temporary memory. RAM is expandable, and resides on the motherboard. Erases when computer turns off.
• D. A volatile cache memory

Answer: (C)

RAM is the computer’s working memory: it stores data and instructions the CPU needs immediately and is designed for rapid access. It is volatile, so its contents are lost when power is removed, and it is expandable, typically installed on the motherboard as memory modules. This combination—temporary storage for active data, the fact that it’s erased when the computer turns off, and its location on the motherboard—best describes RAM.

Permanent BIOS instructions are stored in ROM (or flash memory), not RAM, so that statement isn’t correct. Cache memory is a separate, very fast type of memory used by the CPU to speed up access to frequently used data; RAM isn’t described as cache memory, so that phrasing isn’t accurate for RAM either.