Touching the tape inside will render it useless. Floppies are inserted in an opening in the CPU box and only go in one way. Never force it. Always check the appearance before using. If the sliding cover is bent or damaged and you insert it, it may never come out in one piece.
Floppies cost only pennies.
Zip Disk . Similar to a floppy disk, but slightly larger and holds a lot more stuff. Cannot be used in the same slot that is used for floppies. Many computers provide a Zip drive for using Zip disks. A portable one can be added to any computer.