Inside the box
Inside every computer are a few basic parts that work together, like the different areas of a kitchen. Once you know what each part does, "how a computer works" stops being a mystery.
Picture a kitchen. There's a cook, a counter to work on, and a cupboard to store food. A computer has parts that do the same three jobs: thinking, working space, and long term storage.
The processor: the cook
The processor is the part that does the thinking. It follows instructions, one after another, at an incredible speed. People also call it the CPU, which stands for central processing unit.
Just like a cook follows a recipe step by step, the processor follows a program step by step. It doesn't decide what to cook. It just follows the instructions it's given, extremely fast and extremely exactly.
Memory: the counter
Memory is the space a computer uses to hold what it's working on right now, the same way a cook uses counter space to hold ingredients while cooking.
Here's the important part: memory gets wiped clean when the computer turns off. Just like a counter gets cleared after cooking, whatever was in memory disappears once the power goes off. That's why you can lose your work if you don't save it before a computer shuts down.
Storage: the cupboard
Storage is where a computer keeps things long term, even after it's turned off. It's like a cupboard that stays stocked whether the kitchen is being used or not.
Your photos, your games, your documents. All of that lives in storage. When you open a file, the computer copies it from storage into memory so it can work on it. When you save your work, it copies it back from memory into storage so it doesn't disappear.
Open a document or a drawing app on any device. Type or draw something, but don't save it. Now think about what would happen if the device lost power right now. That unsaved work is sitting in memory. Saving it moves a copy into storage, where it's safe even if the power goes out.
Why does my computer get slow sometimes?
A computer with a lot of memory can hold more things at once, the same way a bigger counter lets a cook work on more dishes at the same time. When memory fills up, the computer has to work harder to juggle everything, and it can feel slow.
Storage filling up is a different problem, more like a cupboard packed so full nothing new fits. A full storage drive can also slow a computer down and stop new files from saving.
- Processor
- The part of a computer that does the thinking, following instructions one step at a time. Also called the CPU.
- Memory
- The space a computer uses to hold what it's working on right now. It empties when the power turns off.
- Storage
- The part of a computer that keeps files safe even after it's turned off.
Which part of a computer empties when you turn it off, memory or storage?
Memory. Storage keeps its contents even when the power is off.
What does the processor do?
It does the thinking, following the program's instructions one step at a time.
Why does saving your work matter?
Your work sits in memory while you're using it. Saving copies it into storage, so it's still there after the computer turns off.
- The processor thinks, memory holds what you're working on right now, and storage keeps things long term.
- Memory is wiped when the power goes off. Storage is not.
- Saving your work moves it from memory into storage, where it's safe.