Which term refers to the components that make up a computer system?

The term that refers to the components that make up a computer system is hardware. Hardware encompasses all the physical elements of a computer, including but not limited to the central processing unit (CPU), memory (RAM), storage devices like hard drives and solid-state drives, motherboards, and peripheral devices such as keyboards and mice. These components are tangible and can be touched and interacted with directly.

In contrast, software refers to the programs and applications that run on the hardware, which are intangible. A network pertains to the connections and communication pathways established between multiple computer systems, while a database is a structured set of data held in a computer, accessible in various ways. Each of these terms denotes different aspects of computing but does not encompass the physical components described by hardware.