Magnetic media organization – floppy disks are arranged in concentric rings called ________ (as distinct from their wedge-shaped subdivisions).

Difficulty: Easy

Correct Answer: tracks

Explanation:


Introduction / Context:
Understanding the layout of legacy magnetic media helps when reading vintage documentation and file system structures. Floppy disks organize data radially and angularly: concentric circular paths and divisions along those paths. This question asks for the correct term for the circular paths.


Given Data / Assumptions:

  • Concentric geometry on rotating media.
  • Common DOS/BIOS terminology still used in emulators and low-level tools.
  • Terminology mirrors that of hard disks, though densities differ.


Concept / Approach:
Each concentric circular path on the disk surface is a track. Tracks are further divided into angular slices called sectors. Filesystems map logical blocks onto sector addresses (cylinder/head/sector or later LBA abstractions). The wording “concentric rings” cues “tracks” as the correct noun.


Step-by-Step Solution:

1) Identify circular geometry → tracks.2) Note subdivisions along track angle → sectors.3) Confirm: “concentric rings” equals tracks, not sectors.4) Answer accordingly.


Verification / Alternative check:
Technical references consistently define tracks as concentric circles and sectors as arc segments along a track.


Why Other Options Are Wrong:
“arrays” and “cells” do not describe magnetic disk geometry; “sectors” are the wedge-shaped pieces of a track; “bands” is not standard floppy terminology.


Common Pitfalls:
Swapping “track” and “sector” because both describe disk structure; remember: track = ring, sector = slice.


Final Answer:
tracks

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