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A floppy disk is a removable, magnetic data storage device consisting of a flexible plastic disk coated with magnetic material, enclosed in a protective case. It's inserted into a floppy disk drive (FDD), which reads and writes data to the disk by magnetizing tiny spots on its surface, forming concentric tracks. Components typically include the plastic disk, a metal shutter, a spring, paper rings, and a hub, all housed in a protective plastic casing. Floppy disks were crucial for data storage and software distribution from the 1970s into the 2000s but have since been replaced by higher-capacity, faster storage like USB drives.

Key Components and How They Work

Plastic Disk Platter: This is the central component, a thin, flexible disc made of plastic and coated with magnetic material (like iron oxide) that holds the data.

Magnetic Coating: This layer on the plastic disk is where the data is stored as tiny magnetized spots, representing binary 1s and 0s.

Enclosure: The magnetic disk is sealed within a protective casing, such as the hard plastic square of the 3.5-inch floppy disk, to keep it clean and safe.

Metal Shutter: A metal sliding cover that protects the magnetic disk when the disk is not in the drive.

Spring: A spring mechanism that operates the metal shutter, snapping it shut to protect the disk when removed from the drive.

Paper Rings: Sandwiching the disk, these paper rings help keep the inside of the enclosure clean by removing dust particles.