Question

A program has to be copied into what type of memory each time the CPU executes it?

Short answer

Answer: A program is copied into the primary memory, specifically, Random Access Memory (RAM), each time the CPU executes it.

Step-by-step solution

Understand the different types of memory

There are two main types of memory in a computer system: Primary memory (also known as main memory) and Secondary memory. Primary memory includes Random Access Memory (RAM) and Read-Only Memory (ROM), whereas secondary memory consists of storage devices such as hard drives, solid-state drives, and external storage devices.

Identify the role of each memory type in program execution

When the CPU executes a program, it first needs to be loaded from the secondary memory (e.g., hard drive) into the primary memory (RAM). This is because the CPU can only directly interact with the data stored in primary memory. The role of RAM is to store the program's instructions and data temporarily while it is being executed, and ROM is responsible for storing the essential data needed for the computer to boot up and function properly.

Determine which memory type is used for copying a program during execution

Based on the understanding of the different memory types and their roles in program execution, we can conclude that the program has to be copied into the primary memory (specifically, RAM) each time the CPU executes it. This is because RAM is the only type of memory that can be directly accessed by the CPU for fast processing of data and instructions.