atomization, atomisation, fragmentation (noun)

separating something into fine particles

fragmentation (noun)

the disintegration of social norms governing behavior and thought and social relationships

fragmentation (noun)

(computer science) the condition of a file that is broken up and stored in many different locations on a magnetic disk

"fragmentation slows system performance because it takes extra time to locate and assemble the parts of the fragmented file"

fragmentation (noun)

the scattering of bomb fragments after the bomb explodes

fragmentation (Noun)

The act of fragmenting or something fragmented; disintegration.

fragmentation (Noun)

The process by which fragments of an exploding bomb scatter.

fragmentation (Noun)

The breaking up and dispersal of a file into non-contiguous areas of a disk.

fragmentation (Noun)

The breaking up of a data packet when larger than the transmission unit of a network.

Fragmentation

In computer storage, fragmentation is a phenomenon in which storage space is used inefficiently, reducing capacity and often performance. Fragmentation leads to storage space being "wasted", and the term also refers to the wasted space itself. There are three different but related forms of fragmentation: external fragmentation, internal fragmentation, and data fragmentation, which can be present in isolation or conjunction. Fragmentation is often accepted in return for improvements in speed or simplicity.