These may sound like dum questions to some of you, but if someone could quickly explain or link me to an explanation i'd be most greatful.

What is really going when a hard drive is partitioned ?
... and why does it need to be partitioned

What happens when logical partitions are created ?
.. and why do they need to be created ?

What happens when extended partitions are created ?
.. why do they need to be created ?

What is happening when a partition is formated ?
... and why does a partition need to be formatted before being used?


Thanks in advance !