A ring on a
disk where
data can be written. A typical
floppy disk has 80 (
double-density) or 160 (
high-density) tracks. For
hard disks, each
platter is divided into tracks, and a single track location that cuts through all platters (and both sides of each platter) is called a
cylinder. Hard disks have many thousands of cylinders.
Each track is further divided into a number of sectors. The operating system and disk drive remember where information is stored by noting its track and sector numbers.
The density of tracks (how close together they are) is measured in terms of tracks per inch (TPI).
