Which of the following best describes the difference between software and hardware?

Homework Help: Questions and Answers: Which of the following best describes the difference between software and hardware?

A. Software is the equipment; hardware are the programs that run the software.
B. Hardware is the equipment; software is the instructions given to the equipment in order for the equipment to perform a task.
C. Hardware is the outside of the computer; software is the material on the inside of a computer.
D. Hardware is the material produced by the computer, like a business letter; software is the information in the computer.

Answer:

First, let’s understand Hardware and Software:

Hardware refers to the physical components of a computer system, such as the keyboard, monitor, CPU, and any other tangible part.
Software refers to the set of instructions or programs that tell the hardware what to do. It includes operating systems, applications, and utilities.

Given Options: Step by Step Answering

a) Software is the equipment; hardware are the programs that run the software.

This is incorrect because software is not equipment, and hardware is not the programs. Hardware is the physical equipment, while software consists of the programs.

b) Hardware is the equipment; software is the instructions given to the equipment in order for the equipment to perform a task.

This is correct. Hardware refers to the physical components, while software consists of the instructions that run on the hardware.

c) Hardware is the outside of the computer; software is the material on the inside of a computer.

This is incorrect because both hardware and software are not simply defined by inside/outside the computer. Hardware includes both internal (like the CPU) and external components (like the keyboard).

d) Hardware is the material produced by the computer, like a business letter; software is the information in the computer.

This is incorrect because hardware is not the output of the computer. Hardware is the physical equipment, and software consists of programs that process data.

Final Answer

Based on the above analysis, the correct answer is:

B. Hardware is the equipment; software is the instructions given to the equipment in order for the equipment to perform a task.

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