Question:

There are 2 circular disks which have 4 surfaces in total. There are 5000 tracks, 2000 each. How much will the Reader read without moving?

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Cylinder = Collection of tracks at the same radius on all disk surfaces. Accessing a cylinder does not require moving the disk arm.
Updated On: Jun 11, 2026
  • cylinder (or 4 tracks)
  • 20,000 tracks
  • 5,000 tracks
  • 2 tracks
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The Correct Option is A

Solution and Explanation

Concept: In magnetic disk storage, tracks located at the same radius on all disk surfaces form a

cylinder.

Step 1: Count the disk surfaces.
There are: \[ 2 \text{ disks} \] Each disk has: \[ 2 \text{ surfaces} \] Therefore, \[ 2\times 2=4 \text{ surfaces} \]

Step 2: Understand cylinder.
The read/write head can access tracks lying directly above one another without moving the arm. These aligned tracks constitute a cylinder. With 4 surfaces, \[ \boxed{\text{1 cylinder = 4 tracks}} \]

Step 3: Select the correct option.
The reader can access all tracks of one cylinder without head movement. Hence answer is: \[ \boxed{\text{Cylinder (4 tracks)}} \]
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