Term: RAM [Random Access Memory]

RAM is an acronym for Random Access Memory. This is the part of your computer that holds the programs and data you’re actually using right now. Examples might include the operating system, your word processor (if you’re running it), your email program (again, if you’re running your email program) and so on. It also holds the data that’s being worked on right now,  such as the document that’s currently shown in your word processor, or the email that you’re typing up.

What’s important is that when you turn the computer off, or if it crashes anything stored in RAM is gone.