ELI5: What is the difference between RAM and storage?

RAM is your computer's temporary workspace for things you are using right now, while storage is the permanent closet where you keep things for later.

Imagine you are sitting at a desk doing a school project:

• RAM (Random Access Memory) is the top of your desk. It holds the open notebook, pencil, and scissors you need at this very second. You can reach them instantly without getting up. However, the desk is small, and when you finish working and turn off the light to go to bed, someone wipes the desk completely clean. Anything left on the desk disappears.
• Storage (like a hard drive or SSD) is your backpack or a filing cabinet. It is much bigger and can hold hundreds of books, photo albums, and old assignments. It takes a little longer to walk over, open a drawer, and pull out what you need, but anything you put in there stays safe forever—even when the room is completely dark and powered off.

• Opening an app: When you tap a game on your phone, your device takes that game out of the filing cabinet (storage) and places it onto your desk (RAM) so you can play it super fast.
• Saving your work: When you write a story and click "Save," you are taking a copy of the paper from your desk (RAM) and sliding it safely into a drawer in your filing cabinet (storage).
• Running out of space: If your device is running slow because you opened fifty apps at once, your desk (RAM) is too crowded. If your device tells you that you cannot take any more photos, your filing cabinet (storage) is completely full.