Why can magnetic disks retrieve data faster than magnetic tape?

Magnetic disks are able to retrieve data faster than magnetic tape because they function as random-access media, whereas magnetic tape is a serial-access (or sequential-access) medium.12

Because magnetic tape is sequential, the device must physically wind or unwind the tape to reach a specific location, requiring it to pass over a large portion of the stored content to access a particular file. In contrast, a magnetic disk unit allows for direct access to a precise track on the disk. The read-write heads can be positioned anywhere on the disk with great precision, enabling the system to retrieve a specific block of data without having to scan through the preceding information. This capability reduces data-retrieval time from the minutes sometimes required by tape to a fraction of a second.312