Final answer:
Photogenic plates and CCDs differ in their recording method: chemical process vs. conversion of light into electronic signals.
Step-by-step explanation:
The primary difference between photogenic plates and charge-coupled devices (CCDs) is their method of recording images.
A photogenic plate is a piece of glass coated with a light-sensitive chemical, while a CCD is a semiconductor chip that converts light signals into electronic signals.
Photogenic plates create a lasting record of the image through a chemical process, while CCDs store and count streams of charged particles (electrons) generated by photons hitting the detector.