In the context of web addresses, which components are typically part of a Uniform Resource Identifier (URI)?

Introduction / Context:
When users type a web address into a browser or click a hyperlink, they are working with a Uniform Resource Identifier, often seen as a Uniform Resource Locator. Understanding the basic components of a URI is fundamental to web development, networking, and troubleshooting. This question asks you to identify the typical parts that make up a URI rather than unrelated hardware or configuration details.

Given Data / Assumptions:

• A URI is used to identify and locate a resource on the internet or within another system.
• Common examples include addresses like https://example.com/products?id=10#details.
• Specifications describe standard components such as scheme, authority, path, query, and fragment.
• The question asks which list correctly represents these components.

Concept / Approach:
A URI generally begins with a scheme or protocol such as http, https, ftp, or mailto. This is followed by a colon and optionally an authority component introduced by double slashes, which can contain user information, host name, and port, such as example.com:8080. After the authority comes the path, which identifies a resource or route on the server, for example /products/list. An optional query string follows a question mark and carries key value parameters, such as ?id=10&sort=asc. Finally, an optional fragment identifier, introduced by a hash sign, points to a subsection of the resource, such as #details. While not every URI contains all components, these elements form the standard structure.

Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Break down a sample URI, such as https://example.com/shop/item?id=5#reviews. Step 2: Identify the scheme as https, the authority as example.com, and the path as /shop/item. Step 3: Recognize the query string starting with ?, such as id=5, and the fragment starting with #, such as reviews. Step 4: Select the option that lists scheme, authority, path, query, and fragment as the standard components.

Verification / Alternative check:
Official URI and URL specifications and development tutorials consistently describe this structure, often with diagrams illustrating each part. Tools such as browser developer consoles and network sniffers also display URIs broken down into scheme, host, path, query, and fragment. None of these references mention BIOS versions, RAM, or network cable colors as URI components. This evidence supports option A as the correct answer.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:
Option B is wrong because BIOS version and RAM amount are hardware details and not part of a URI. Option C incorrectly lists user device settings that the URI does not encode. Option D is incomplete and misleading because an operating system name alone cannot identify a resource location. Option E is clearly irrelevant, as hardware manufacturer names and cable colors do not appear in web addresses.

Common Pitfalls:
A common pitfall is to use the term URL without understanding how query strings and fragments fit into the overall structure. Another mistake is confusing the scheme with the host or assuming the path refers to a physical file system path rather than a logical route. By understanding the standard URI components, you can parse, construct, and debug web addresses more confidently and write code that handles routing and parameters correctly.

Final Answer:
Scheme protocol, authority host and optional port, path, optional query string, and optional fragment identifier