What type of RAM stores each data bit as an electrical charge and requires periodic refreshing?

Dynamic RAM (DRAM) is the correct answer because this type of memory stores each bit of data as an electrical charge in capacitors. Over time, these capacitors lose their charge due to leakage, which is why DRAM requires periodic refreshing to maintain the stored data. This refresh cycle typically occurs thousands of times per second to ensure data integrity, as the information stored in DRAM can fade away if not refreshed.

In contrast, Static RAM (SRAM) uses bistable latching circuitry to store each bit and does not need to be refreshed as often as DRAM, making it faster but also more expensive and less dense, suitable for cache memory in processors. Flash memory is a non-volatile storage type, meaning it retains data without power, and Read-Only Memory (ROM) is also non-volatile, permanently storing data that cannot be modified (or only with difficulty) after it is written. Therefore, neither Flash memory nor ROM utilizes electrical charges in the same way DRAM does nor requires refreshing.