Which component writes data to a magnetic storage medium?

Which component writes data to a magnetic storage medium?

• A. Write-head
• B. Read-head
• C. Laser diode
• D. Transducer

Answer: (A)

In magnetic storage, data is written by creating a magnetic field that flips the orientation of tiny magnetic grains on the storage surface. The device that does this is the write head, which contains a coil. When electric current flows through the coil, it generates a magnetic field strong enough to reorient those grains, encoding bits as 0s and 1s. The read head, by contrast, detects the magnetic field from the stored pattern to read the data. A laser diode is used with optical storage formats, not magnetic storage. Transducer is a general term for components that convert energy from one form to another; while the write head is a type of transducer, the specific component that performs the writing is the write head.

In magnetic storage, data is written by creating a magnetic field that flips the orientation of tiny magnetic grains on the storage surface. The device that does this is the write head, which contains a coil. When electric current flows through the coil, it generates a magnetic field strong enough to reorient those grains, encoding bits as 0s and 1s. The read head, by contrast, detects the magnetic field from the stored pattern to read the data. A laser diode is used with optical storage formats, not magnetic storage. Transducer is a general term for components that convert energy from one form to another; while the write head is a type of transducer, the specific component that performs the writing is the write head.