What is the role of an operating system?

An operating system plays a crucial role in managing both hardware and software resources on a computer. This involves coordinating the activities of the computer’s hardware components, such as the CPU, memory, and storage devices, to ensure they work together efficiently and effectively. Additionally, the operating system serves as an intermediary between users and the computer hardware, enabling users to execute commands, manage files, and run applications without needing to understand the underlying hardware intricacies.

By handling these tasks, the operating system allows users to run multiple applications concurrently, manage system resources through scheduling and prioritization, facilitate user interaction through graphical interfaces or command-line interfaces, and maintain overall system stability and security. Through these functions, the operating system optimizes the performance of the computer system and provides a seamless environment for application execution. This comprehensive management of both hardware and software resources is essential for any computing environment, making this the correct answer.