What type of storage medium uses several rigid discs coated with a magnetically sensitive material?

The correct answer is identified as the hard drive because it is specifically designed with multiple rigid discs, often referred to as platters, that are coated with a magnetically sensitive material. This design allows hard drives to store vast amounts of data by utilizing magnetic fields to write and read data from these discs, which spin at high speeds. The combination of the physical spinning discs and the magnetic material makes hard drives unique among storage mediums.

In contrast, flash drives are based on flash memory and do not contain moving parts, making them solid-state devices. Solid state drives also do not feature spinning discs but instead use flash memory to store data, resulting in faster access times and less mechanical wear. Optical drives, such as CD, DVD, or Blu-ray players, utilize lasers to read and write data on discs but do not employ magnetic materials on rigid discs for data storage. This clear distinction helps to understand why hard drives are categorized specifically for their dual rigid disc and magnetic features.