Does a full computer hardrive weigh more than an empty one and if so what does the extra weight comprise of?

Answer 1

Everything that is ever "in" a hard drive is in it from the time it's first made. The only changes made when something is written is in placement of things that are already contained therein. Therefore, the actual weight cannot change. There has to be some kind of in the physical makeup of the hard drive for the weight to change, and this only happens while the computer is on (electric current passes through). When the computer is off, the hard drive is made up of exactly the same components no matter how much has been written to it. Those components don't change in weight.

Answer 2

The drive weight does not change regardless of the amount of data stored on it. Just like a VCR tape doesn't weigh less if you erase the recorded material on it....or an old cassette tape, or a re-recordable CD or DVD.

Answer 3

No. The iron oxide or cobalt coated on to the disk is merely magnetically oriented in a particular pattern that translates into 0s and 1s.