Disk Utility, common terminology question?

Question

I'm reading a guide on learning how to use Disk Utility. It says several times Disk Utility can erase and format a disk. I thought the 2 meant the same thing? I thought format meant to completely erase everything...Everything I read about disk utility they use these two words like they both do something different to the disk? Is there a difference?

Answer 1

Yup, my Maxtor 300GB FireWire is Partitioned into three Volumes, the first Leopard 1 is a bootable clone, the second is Music and a third for Photos.
+OneTouch III SBP-LUN:+
+Capacity: 279.48 GB+
+Removable Media: Yes+
+BSD Name: disk2+
+Mac OS 9 Drivers: No+
+Partition Map Type: GPT (GUID Partition Table)+
+S.M.A.R.T. status: Not Supported+
Volumes:
+*Leopard 1*:+
+Capacity: 140.57 GB+
+Available: 13.16 GB+
+Writable: Yes+
+File System: Journaled HFS++
+BSD Name: disk2s2+
+Mount Point: /Volumes/Leopard 1+
Music:
+Capacity: 99.74 GB+
+Available: 24.47 GB+
+Writable: Yes+
+File System: Journaled HFS++
+BSD Name: disk2s3+
+Mount Point: /Volumes/Music+
Photos:
+Capacity: 38.6 GB+
+Available: 25.4 GB+
+Writable: Yes+
+File System: Journaled HFS++
+BSD Name: disk2s4+
+Mount Point: /Volumes/Photos+
My other Maxtor a 320GB FireWire, is Partitioned into two Volumes Time Machine, Tunes & Photos.
+OneTouch III SBP-LUN:+
+Capacity: 298.09 GB+
+Removable Media: Yes+
+BSD Name: disk1+
+Mac OS 9 Drivers: No+
+Partition Map Type: GPT (GUID Partition Table)+
+S.M.A.R.T. status: Not Supported+
Volumes:
+*Time Machine:*+
+Capacity: 201.01 GB+
+Available: 62.22 GB+
+Writable: Yes+
+File System: Journaled HFS++
+BSD Name: disk1s2+
+Mount Point: /Volumes/Time Machine+
+*Tunes & Photos:*+
+Capacity: 96.63 GB+
+Available: 21.64 GB+
+Writable: Yes+
+File System: Journaled HFS++
+BSD Name: disk1s3+
+Mount Point: /Volumes/Tunes & Photos+