Which memory type must be refreshed periodically to maintain data?

• A. ROM - Read-Only Memory
• B. DRAM - Dynamic Random-Access Memory
• C. RAM - Random-Access Memory
• D. PROM - Programmable Read-Only Memory

Answer: (B)

Dynamic RAM stores each bit as charge on a tiny capacitor, and those capacitors leak over time. Because the stored charge decays, the memory controller must periodically refresh the data by reading and rewriting the bits to restore the charge. This refreshing keeps the information intact. In contrast, ROM and PROM are non-volatile and hold data without power, and some RAM types like SRAM use flip-flops that don’t require refreshing. So the memory type that must be refreshed to maintain data is DRAM.