Final answer:
A file and a folder both organize data; a file is a single unit of information, like a paper, and a folder can contain multiple files, similar to a manila folder containing several papers.
Step-by-step explanation:
The similarities between a file and a folder are that both are used to organize data on a computer. A file is like an individual paper containing information, whereas a folder is like a manila folder that can hold multiple files. To understand this in terms of size, think of how you might weigh a physical folder to know its heaviness; similarly, a computer directory can tell you the size of a file.
Just as you count papers in a folder to know how many are there, you can look at a file's size on a computer to know how much information it contains. This is analogous to looking at an orbital filling diagram versus electron configuration data for atoms; counting arrows in the former is like checking individual files, while summing up numbers in the latter is like seeing the aggregated size in a computer directory.