What type of error does accessing memory that is not allocated result in?

What type of error does accessing memory that is not allocated result in?

• A. Syntax error
• B. Logical error
• C. Runtime error
• D. Compile-time error

Answer: (C)

Accessing memory that is not allocated results in a runtime error because this type of error occurs during the execution of a program when it attempts to use memory that it is not allowed to access. At this point, the program has already compiled successfully without any syntax errors, and the logic appears correct from a syntactic perspective. When a program tries to access memory that has not been allocated—such as trying to read or write to a null pointer or accessing an array out of its bounds—the operating system detects this violation and usually terminates the program. This behavior underscores the importance of managing memory properly and checking that allocations are valid before use. In contrast, syntax errors are detected during compilation, meaning the code has issues that prevent it from being compiled into an executable program at all. Logical errors occur when a program compiles and runs but produces incorrect results due to flaws in its logic, and compile-time errors arise during the compilation process when the code does not conform to the language’s grammar rules. Thus, accessing unallocated memory is distinctly categorized as a runtime error.

Accessing memory that is not allocated results in a runtime error because this type of error occurs during the execution of a program when it attempts to use memory that it is not allowed to access. At this point, the program has already compiled successfully without any syntax errors, and the logic appears correct from a syntactic perspective.

When a program tries to access memory that has not been allocated—such as trying to read or write to a null pointer or accessing an array out of its bounds—the operating system detects this violation and usually terminates the program. This behavior underscores the importance of managing memory properly and checking that allocations are valid before use.

In contrast, syntax errors are detected during compilation, meaning the code has issues that prevent it from being compiled into an executable program at all. Logical errors occur when a program compiles and runs but produces incorrect results due to flaws in its logic, and compile-time errors arise during the compilation process when the code does not conform to the language’s grammar rules. Thus, accessing unallocated memory is distinctly categorized as a runtime error.