Software can be defined as:

• A. The nuts and bolts that make things work
• B. The physical components of servers
• C. A collection of computer programs and related data that provide the instructions telling a computer what to do
• D. A collection of computers and devices connected by communications channels that facilitates communications among users and allows users to share resources with other users

Answer: (C)

Software is a collection of computer programs and related data that provide the instructions telling a computer what to do. It includes things like the operating system and applications, along with the data those programs use or generate. These instructions run on hardware, directing it to perform tasks—from simple calculations to complex workflows. This distinguishes software from hardware, which are the physical parts, and from networks, which enable communication and resource sharing. In short, software is the set of programs and data that drive the computer’s actions.