A system architect is specifying secondary storage for a ruggedized military vehicle's navigational computer. They choose a Solid-State Drive (SSD) containing NAND flash memory over a Magnetic Hard Disk Drive (HDD). Which physical feature of NAND flash memory allows binary states to be recorded and retained without power?
It utilizes a microscopic laser to read the interference pattern of lands and pits on a rotating polycarbonate disc.
It traps electrons in a floating gate insulated by silicon dioxide, altering the threshold voltage of a transistor.
It aligns microscopic magnetic dipoles on a thin ferromagnetic layer deposited on a spinning glass platter.
It stores charge in a dense grid of microscopic capacitors that must be constantly refreshed by a memory controller.
76 exam-style questions on Edexcel GCSE Computer Science Hardware, covering Von Neumann architecture and FDE cycle, Secondary storage devices, and Embedded systems. Each one has a worked solution and a mark scheme showing where the marks go.