Which of the following is NOT a characteristic of computer data?

The statement that computer data is "visible on physical media" is not an inherent characteristic of data itself. Data may reside in various forms—whether as information processed by a computer, stored in binary format, or existing in a dynamic state where it can change based on processing needs.

Data can exist purely in digital form, being represented by binary sequences of 0s and 1s that aren't necessarily tied to a physical medium until it is intentionally saved or printed. For example, data that is held in RAM or transmitted over a network exists in memory or is in transit and may not be physically observable until it is written to a hard drive, displayed on a screen, or printed out.

In contrast, other characteristics like processed information—where raw data undergoes transformation to yield meaningful insights—exist because that’s the fundamental purpose of data, while binary format defines how data is structured and stored at a fundamental level. The idea of data being static until accessed suggests that it remains unchanged until it is retrieved for processing, underscoring the nature of data storage systems.