Software is a collection of programs, data, and instructions that tell a computer what to do. It consists of code written in programming languages that are executed by the computer's hardware components. In simpler terms, software is a set of instructions that enable a computer to perform specific tasks or functions.
Hardware, on the other hand, includes all the physical components of a computer. These components include the central processing unit (CPU), memory chips, hard disks, keyboards, and other input/output devices. They are tangible and are physically present on a computer.
The main difference between software and hardware is that software cannot be touched, while hardware can be touched and physically manipulated. Hardware components are responsible for processing and executing software instructions, while software provides the instructions for hardware to execute. Without software, hardware would have no purpose, and without hardware, software would have nothing to run on.