Data is stored on a rewritable CD through a process called phase-change recording. This involves using a laser to heat up a tiny portion of the recording layer, which changes its physical properties from a crystalline to an amorphous state. This change can be reversed by heating the area again, allowing for data to be rewritten onto the CD.
Yes, rewritable CDs can be erased and rewritten many times. However, each time data is rewritten, it can cause slight degradation of the recording layer, leading to reduced storage capacity and potential data loss over time.
To erase data from a rewritable CD, you need a CD burner or drive that supports the erasable format. This drive uses a laser to heat up the entire recording layer, resetting it back to its original crystalline state and erasing all the data on the CD.
A regular CD can only be written on once and cannot be erased or rewritten. A rewritable CD, on the other hand, can be erased and rewritten multiple times, making it more versatile for storing and editing data.
The storage capacity of a rewritable CD depends on the type of CD and the recording speed. For example, a CD-RW with a recording speed of 12x can hold up to 700MB of data, while a 24x CD-RW can hold up to 870MB. The storage capacity also decreases slightly with each rewrite, so it is important to keep track of the remaining storage space on the CD.