What is a soft disk?

A soft disk, often referred to as a floppy disk, is a data storage medium that consists of a thin, flexible magnetic disk encased in a protective plastic shell. It was widely used for data storage and transfer in the late 20th century, typically ranging in size from 3.5 inches to 5.25 inches. Soft disks store data magnetically and can be read and written to by compatible disk drives. Although largely obsolete now, they played a significant role in early computing.