how do magnetic storage devices work on computers?

Answer 1

There are many types of magnetic storage devices: hard-drives, diskettes, ZIP disks etc. They can be splpitted into two categories: those with random access (they can go directly to the information they're trying to access) and those with secvential access (they need to go through all the information placed before the information they're trying to access). Ramdom-access magnetic storage devices are hard-drives, diskettes etc.; secvential access magnetic storage devices are the magnetic tape readers.
Storing information on either type of magnetic storage device is made by magnetizing a support (a disk, a magnetic tape etc.) with different intensities along the support's surface. A component called magnetic head takes care of both the writing and reading information to/from the support it was designed for. When writing, it converts the electric impulses it receives in magnetic impulses which magnetizes the surface of the support. When reading information, it converts the variations of the support's magnetism into electrical impulses.

Answer 2

Magnetic Storage Devices

Answer 3

The storage media (hard disc, floppy disc, etc) has a coating that can hold a magnetic "signiature". A good analogy is the groove in a vinyl record - except of course there is nothing "physical" to see when the magnetism of an area of the storage media is changed.

In order to write to the media, the hardware makes changes to the magnetic coating by using electricity. To see how electricity and magnetism are connected, put a speaker near an old television set.

In order to read from the media, the hardware detects the magnetism of the coating.

Answer 4

They work by copying binary. Computers work by adding and subtracting numbers in their most basic form. They represent the numbers in binary formats (simple ones and zero's), this is then stored by writing these to disk, using magnetism 0 = negative charge (-) and 1 = positive charge (+), therefore 16 becomes 00010000 or (---+----) on disk, or digital tape but not as suggested in an earlier answer like a record player which is not digital but analogue. Hard disk write onto set tracks which are not like the groove on a record, as do floppy disk, Bernoulli disk, zip drives etc. The data is random access on any format unless it is written to tape, at which point it can be sequentially accessed, it is however written onto the tape as above (in + & -)

Hope this helps

Answer 5

they work under the rules of physics.

Answer 6

perhaps this reference will help.....