HSC Software Design and Development Practice Exam

The operating system (OS) is responsible for supervising and controlling system resources such as the CPU and memory. It serves as an intermediary between users and the computer hardware, managing the allocation of resources to various applications and processes. This involves scheduling tasks, managing memory allocation, and ensuring that the CPU executes processes efficiently.

The OS handles crucial functions like multitasking, which allows multiple applications to run simultaneously by managing the CPU time each application receives. Additionally, it oversees memory management, which includes keeping track of how memory is allocated and released, optimizing performance, and preventing memory conflicts.

While utility software performs maintenance tasks to enhance system performance and application software provides specific functionalities for user tasks, they do not manage system resources at the foundational level. Firmware, on the other hand, is embedded software that controls hardware devices but lacks the comprehensive resource management capabilities of an operating system. Therefore, the operating system is the core software responsible for managing system resources, making it the correct choice.