What is data hazard?

A data hazard occurs in computer architecture when an instruction depends on the result of a previous instruction that has not yet completed. This situation can lead to incorrect processing or delays in instruction execution. There are three main types of data hazards: read-after-write (RAW), write-after-read (WAR), and write-after-write (WAW). Techniques like data forwarding and pipeline stalls are often used to mitigate the effects of data hazards in pipelined processors.