Final answer:
A partition is a section of a hard drive used to store data separately from other parts of the drive, often for organization, performance, or running multiple operating systems.
Step-by-step explanation:
A partition is a section of a hard drive or other storage device where data can be stored in an isolated section of the drive. Partitions can be used to separate data for organizational purposes, improve system performance, or to run more than one operating system on a single device. For example, a computer might have one partition for the operating system and applications, and another partition for personal files.
When you partition a hard drive, you are essentially dividing it into distinct sections that the computer's operating system can manage separately. Each partition can appear to the operating system as a separate 'drive,' even though they are on the same physical hard drive. This can be useful for various reasons, such as keeping system files separate from user files, creating a dedicated partition for backup, or setting up a multi-boot system with different operating systems.