Which term is also called 'platform'?

• A. Kernel
• B. Operating system
• C. Closed source
• D. Software

Answer: (B)

Platform refers to the environment that supports running applications, providing the services, APIs, and hardware abstraction that software relies on. The operating system is that full environment: it manages hardware resources, offers a user interface, handles files and processes, and exposes APIs that applications use. Because of this, the operating system is the term that’s also called the platform. The kernel is a core part of the operating system that handles low-level hardware interaction, but by itself it isn’t the complete platform. Closed source relates to licensing and access to source code, not the run-time environment, and software means the programs themselves, which depend on the OS as their platform to run.