The correct choice is:
Primitive data types are stored directly in a variable, while reference data type variables store a memory reference to where the data is stored.
To elaborate:
- Primitive data types (like
int
,char
,float
, etc.) hold their values directly in the memory allocated for that variable. - Reference data types (like objects, arrays, etc.) do not store the actual data themselves but instead store a reference (or address) to the location in memory where the data is stored.
The other options provided are incorrect for the reasons mentioned.