Physical memory, also known as Random Access Memory (RAM), is a type of computer hardware that is directly connected to the Central Processing Unit (CPU) via a bus. It serves as a temporary storage area for running programs and data. On the other hand, virtual memory is an abstract memory layer managed by the operating system, which combines physical memory and disk space to provide a larger memory capacity than what is physically available. In this article, we will delve into the definitions, differences, and uses of physical and virtual memory, as well as their impact on computer performance and system resource management.