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Hard or Soft?

Hardware or software? Lock down the two definitions that win easy marks — and the relationship examiners want you to explain.

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What you'll cover

Hard or Soft? 🖥️

Every computer system is two things working together: **hardware** and **software**. It sounds simple — but "define hardware" and "define software" are classic **one-mark** exam questions, and vague wording throws those marks away. Let's make your definitions exam-tight.

Hardware: the physical parts

**Hardware** is the **physical components** of a computer system — the parts you can actually touch. Think CPU, RAM, motherboard, hard drive, keyboard, monitor, printer. If you could pick it up, it is hardware.

Define it precisely

For one mark, which is the best definition of **hardware**?

  • The physical components of a computer system
  • The programs that run on a computer
  • Anything electronic
  • The most expensive parts of a computer

Software: the instructions

**Software** is the **programs** — the sets of **instructions** — that run on the hardware and tell it what to do. A web browser, a game, a word processor, the operating system: all software. You can't physically touch it.

Now define software

For one mark, which is the best definition of **software**?

  • Programs (sets of instructions) that tell the hardware what to do
  • The parts of a computer you can't touch
  • The physical components of a computer
  • Whatever is shown on the screen

Match the definitions

  • Hardware
  • Software
  • Their relationship
  • The physical components you can touch
  • Programs (instructions) that tell it what to do
  • Software runs on and controls the hardware

A quick test 🦶

Not sure which is which? Try this: **could you drop it on your foot?** If yes, it's **hardware** (a keyboard, a hard drive). If it's a program doing a job — the typing app, the browser — it's **software**. Physical thing vs set of instructions.

Spot the software

Pick the THREE items that are **software**.

  • A web browser
  • The operating system
  • A word-processing program
  • A keyboard
  • A hard drive

They need each other 🔗

Hardware and software **depend on each other**: • Hardware with no software just sits there — a powerful machine doing nothing. • Software needs hardware to **run on** and to **carry out** (execute) its instructions.\n\nThat two-way dependency is exactly what a "describe the relationship" question is asking for.

Say it in one line

Hardware is the _____ components you can touch; software is the _____ that tell the hardware what to do. The software _____ on the hardware.

physical programs runs invisible

In the exam 🎯

Two definitions, banked. Grade-9 habits here: • **Hardware = physical components** — say "physical", not "the parts" or "electronic stuff". • **Software = programs / instructions** — say what it *is*, not "the bits you can't touch". • For the **relationship**: software runs on and controls hardware; hardware executes the software's instructions — each is useless without the other.