What does an operating system do?
a) Manages hardware and software resources
b) Performs calculations
c) Handles all the data processing tasks
d) Stores data permanently
Answer:
a) Manages hardware and software resources
Explanation:
An operating system (OS) is software that manages hardware and software resources in a computer system. It acts as an intermediary between the user and the computer hardware, facilitating the execution of programs and managing hardware devices such as the CPU, memory, and storage devices.
The operating system handles tasks such as process management, memory management, file systems, and device control. It also provides a user interface (such as Windows, macOS, or Linux) to allow users to interact with the computer easily.
Without an operating system, a computer would not be able to function, as it coordinates all the activities between hardware and software, making sure that applications can run and hardware resources are used efficiently.