The ability to directly obtain a stored item by referencing its address is known as

The ability to directly obtain a stored item by referencing its address is known as

The ability to directly obtain a stored item by referencing its address is known as

a) random access
b) sequential access
c) read-only access
d) fetch access
e) volatility

Answer:  a.

Random access is meant to convey the idea that accessing any item is equally easy, and that any item is retrievable based solely on its address.  Random access is the form of access used by both RAM and ROM memory.  Disk access, called direct access, is a similar idea, and direct and random access are sometimes referred to synonymously.  Sequential access is used by tape.