Final answer:
In internal fragmentation, memory within a partition is not being used due to fixed-size block allocation leading to wasted space that is too small to be utilized by other processes.
Step-by-step explanation:
In internal fragmentation, memory is internal to a partition and is not being used. Internal fragmentation occurs when fixed-size memory blocks are allocated to a process, and there is some remaining unused memory that is too small to be assigned to another process. This unused portion cannot be utilized by other processes, even if they require less memory than what is being wasted, because it is still officially allocated to the particular process that owns the entire block, leading to inefficient memory use.
For example, if a process needs 105 KB of memory, and the system assigns memory in blocks of 120 KB, the remaining 15 KB within that allocated block is considered internally fragmented. This space cannot be used by another process or combined with other fragmented spaces from another block, contributing to the wastage of memory resources.