What does it mean to say RAM is volatile? *
Computers and Technology · High School · Wed Jan 13 2021
Answered on
When we say that RAM (Random Access Memory) is volatile, it means that the data stored in RAM is temporary and is lost when the power is turned off or the computer is restarted. In other words, RAM does not retain its contents when the electrical power is interrupted.
This is in contrast to non-volatile storage devices such as hard drives or SSDs, where data is stored persistently even when the power is off. The volatility of RAM is why it's used for temporary storage of actively running programs and data that the computer is currently using. Once the power is turned off, the contents of RAM are wiped clean, and the system needs to reload the necessary data from non-volatile storage when it starts up again.