How does a Hard Disk Drive (HDD) operate?

A Hard Disk Drive (HDD) operates by utilizing a mechanical arm with a read/write head. This mechanism allows the HDD to access and store data on spinning magnetic disks, also known as platters. The read/write head moves across the surface of these platters to either read data that is already stored or write new data to the disks. The speed at which the platters spin and the precision of the mechanical arm are crucial for the performance of the HDD, impacting both read and write speeds.

In contrast, the other options highlight characteristics that do not accurately describe how an HDD operates. For example, HDDs do not use microchips for data storage; rather, they rely on magnetic platters. Additionally, HDDs are generally slower than Solid State Drives (SSDs) because SSDs utilize flash memory and have no moving parts, which allows for faster data access times. Finally, HDDs do require electricity to function, as the spinning of the platters and movement of the read/write arm depend on electrical power.