Read-only memory

High school (ages 12+)
Science & Technology

Name:

Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/read-only-memory

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. What is the primary function?Storage of firmware, bootloaders, and essential device initialization routines
2. What is the core property?Non-volatile data retention, preserving information without continuous power
3. What is read‑only memory (ROM)?ROM is a special kind of computer memory that is written once and stays the same. It stores the basic instructions that tell a device how to start up and work.
4. Why does ROM keep its information even when the power is off?ROM is made so that its data is stored in a permanent way, like a hard‑wired pattern. Because of this, the information stays even when the device is turned off.

Firmware: Low-level software embedded in hardware, controlling its basic functions and startup.
Non-volatile Memory: Data storage that retains information even when electrical power is removed.
BIOS/UEFI: System firmware on computers that initializes hardware during boot-up.