Final answer:
An operating system manages hardware and software resources and provides common services for computer programs, but it does not increase the speed of the hardware itself.
Step-by-step explanation:
The purpose of an operating system (OS) is to manage computer hardware and software resources, provide common services for computer programs, and act as an intermediary between the user and the computer hardware. However, one thing that is not a purpose for an operating system is to increase the speed of the hardware itself. Hardware speed is determined by the physical components like the processor, memory, and storage devices. The OS can manage these resources efficiently to ensure they work well together but cannot intrinsically increase the physical speed or power of these components.