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(Scroll down for complete tables
- from bit to Yottabyte)
Abbreviations like Kb, KB, Mb and GB are often confused, misunderstood
or used incorrectly. Here's a brief explanation of proper usage.
Let's start at the beginning. The only data that a computer can understand is on and off. But those
two simple commands can be grouped into millions of combinations and it is the way they are grouped in series that
creates complex data.
The basic unit is called a bit (binary digit). Each bit has an electronic switch, or gate.
If the gate is open the bit is on and electricity can go through. The computer reads on or open switches as a number
1. If the gate is closed or off, the electricity is blocked and the computer reads off bits as 0.
Bits can be grouped together to allow more complex code. Eight bits are grouped together to form a byte.
This allows 256 possible combinations of 1/0. The abbreviation for bit is a lowercase "b"; the abbreviation
for byte is an uppercase "B". Bits and bytes can then be expressed in larger measurements. They are generally
expressed in exponents of two, known as binary code.
The Standards
Although computer data is normally measured in binary code, the prefixes for the multiples are based on the metric
system. The nearest binary number to 1,000 is 2^10 or 1,024; thus 1,024 bytes was named a Kilobyte. So,
although a metric "kilo" equals 1,000 (e.g. one kilogram = 1,000 grams), a binary "Kilo" equals
1,024 (e.g. one Kilobyte = 1,024 bytes). Not surprisingly, this has led to a great deal of confusion.
In December 1998, the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) approved a new IEC International Standard.
Instead of using the metric prefixes for multiples in binary code, the new IEC standard invented specific prefixes
for binary multiples made up of only the first two letters of the metric prefixes and adding the first two letters
of the word "binary". Thus, for instance, instead of Kilobyte (KB) or Gigabyte (GB), the new terms would
be kibibyte (KiB) or gibibyte (GiB).
Here are brief summaries of the Old Standard and the IEC Standard:
|
Old Standard
|
| bit |
b |
0 or 1 |
| byte |
B |
8 bits |
| kilobit |
kb |
1000 bits |
| Kilobyte (binary) |
KB |
1024 bytes |
| Kilobyte (decimal) |
KB |
1000 bytes |
| Megabit |
Mb |
1000 kilobits |
| Megabyte (binary) |
MB |
1024 Kilobytes |
| Megabyte (decimal) |
MB |
1000 Kilobytes |
| Gigabit |
Gb |
1000 Megabits |
| Gigabyte (binary) |
GB |
1024 Megabytes |
| Gigabyte (decimal) |
GB |
1000 Megabytes |
| Terabit |
Tb |
1000 Gigabits |
| Terabyte (binary) |
TB |
1024 Gigabytes |
| Terabyte (decimal) |
TB |
1000 Gigabytes |
| Petabit |
Pb |
1000 Terabits |
| Petabyte (binary) |
PB |
1024 Terabytes |
| Petabyte (decimal) |
PB |
1000 Terabytes |
| Exabit |
Eb |
1000 Petabits |
| Exabyte (binary) |
EB |
1024 Petabytes |
| Exabyte (decimal) |
EB |
1000 Petabytes |
|
IEC Standard
|
| bit |
bit |
0 or 1 |
| byte |
B |
8 bits |
| kibibit |
Kibit |
1024 bits |
| kilobit |
kbit |
1000 bits |
| kibibyte (binary) |
KiB |
1024 bytes |
| kilobyte (decimal) |
kB |
1000 bytes |
| megabit |
Mbit |
1000 kilobits |
| mebibyte (binary) |
MiB |
1024 kibibytes |
| megabyte (decimal) |
MB |
1000 kilobytes |
| gigabit |
Gbit |
1000 megabits |
| gibibyte (binary) |
GiB |
1024 mebibytes |
| gigabyte (decimal) |
GB |
1000 megabytes |
| terabit |
Tbit |
1000 gigabits |
| tebibyte (binary) |
TiB |
1024 gibibytes |
| terabyte (decimal) |
TB |
1000 gigabytes |
| petabit |
Pbit |
1000 terabits |
| pebibyte (binary) |
PiB |
1024 tebibytes |
| petabyte (decimal) |
PB |
1000 terabytes |
| exabit |
Ebit |
1000 petabits |
| exbibyte (binary) |
EiB |
1024 pebibytes |
| exabyte (decimal) |
EB |
1000 petabytes |
____________________________________________________
Binary Code
When used to describe Memory Size, or Data Storage, bits/bytes are generally calculated as some exponent of two:
| Old Standard |
1 bit (b)
1 byte (B) = 8 bits
1 Kilobyte (K / KB) = 2^10 bytes = 1,024 bytes
1 Megabyte (M / MB) = 2^20 bytes = 1,048,576 bytes
1 Gigabyte (G / GB) = 2^30 bytes = 1,073,741,824 bytes
1 Terabyte (T / TB) = 2^40 bytes = 1,099,511,627,776 bytes
1 Petabyte (P / PB) = 2^50 bytes = 1,125,899,906,842,624 bytes
1 Exabyte (E / EB) = 2^60 bytes = 1,152,921,504,606.846,976 bytes
1 Zettabyte (Z / ZB) = 2^70 bytes = 1,180,591,620,717,411,303,424 bytes
1 Yottabyte (Y / YB) = 2^80 bytes = 1,208,925,819,614,629,174,706,176 bytes
Note: In
the metric system the "k" or "kilo" prefix is always lowercase but since these binary uses
are not properly metric, it has become standard to use an uppercase "K" for the binary form. |
| IEC Standard |
1 bit (bit)
1 byte (B) = 8 bits
1 kibibyte (KiB) = 2^10 bytes = 1,024 bytes
1 mebibyte (MiB) = 2^20 bytes = 1,048,576 bytes
1 gibibyte (GiB) = 2^30 bytes = 1,073,741,824 bytes
1 tebibyte (TiB) = 2^40 bytes = 1,099,511,627,776 bytes
1 pebibyte (PiB) = 2^50 bytes = 1,125,899,906,842,624 bytes
1 exbibyte (EiB) = 2^60 bytes = 1,152,921,504,606.846,976 bytes
1 zebibyte (ZiB) = 2^70 bytes = 1,180,591,620,717,411,303,424 bytes
1 yobibyte (YiB) = 2^80 bytes = 1,208,925,819,614,629,174,706,176
bytes
Note: For
consistency with the other prefixes for binary multiples, the initial "K" used in the abbreviation for
kibibyte (2^10) has been capitalised. |
Decimal System
Although data storage capacity is generally expressed in binary code, many hard drive manufacturers (and some newer
BIOSs) use a decimal system to express capacity:
| Old Standard |
1 bit (b)
1 byte (B) = 8 bits
1 Kilobyte (K / KB) = 10^3 bytes = 1,000 bytes
1 Megabyte (M / MB) = 10^6 bytes = 1,000,000 bytes
1 Gigabyte (G / GB) = 10^9 bytes = 1,000,000,000 bytes
1 Terabyte (T / TB) = 10^12 bytes = 1,000,000,000,000 bytes
1 Petabyte (P / PB) = 10^15 bytes = 1,000,000,000,000,000 bytes
1 Exabyte (E / EB) = 10^18 bytes = 1,000,000,000,000,000,000 bytes
1 Zettabyte (Z / ZB) = 10^21 bytes = 1,000,000,000,000,000,000,000 bytes
1 Yottabyte (Y / YB) = 10^24 bytes = 1,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000 bytes
Note:
A third definition of Megabyte is that used in formatting floppy disks: 1 Megabyte = 1,024,000 bytes. |
| IEC Standard |
1 bit (bit)
1 byte (B) = 8 bits
1 kilobyte (kB) = 10^3 bytes = 1,000 bytes
1 megabyte (MB) = 10^6 bytes = 1,000,000 bytes
1 gigabyte (GB) = 10^9 bytes = 1,000,000,000 bytes
1 terabyte (TB) = 10^12 bytes = 1,000,000,000,000 bytes
1 petabyte (PB) = 10^15 bytes = 1,000,000,000,000,000 bytes
1 exabyte (EB) = 10^18 bytes = 1,000,000,000,000,000,000 bytes
1 zettabyte (ZB) = 10^21 bytes = 1,000,,000,000,000,000,000,000 bytes
1 yottabyte (YB) = 10^24 bytes = 1,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000 bytes
Note:
Note the use of a lowercase "k" in the abbreviation for kilobyte, in keeping with the metric system. |
_______________________________________________
Metric Code
When used to describe Data Transfer Rate, bits/bytes are calculated as in
the metric system:
| Old Standard |
1 bit (b) = 0 or 1 = one binary digit
1 kilobit (kb / Kb / K) = 10^3 bits = 1,000 bits
1 Megabit (Mb) = 10^6 bits = 1,000,000 bits
1 Gigabit (Gb) = 10^9 bits = 1,000,000,000 bits
1 Terabit (Tb) = 10^12 bits = 1,000,000,000,000 bits
1 Petabit (Pb) = 10^15 bits = 1,000,000,000,000,000 bits
1 Exabit (Eb) = 10^18 bits = 1,000,000,000,000,000,000 bits
1 Zettabit (Zb) = 10^21 bits = 1,000,000,000,000,000,000,000 bits
1 Yottabit (Yb) = 10^24 bits = 1,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000 bits
Note:
Kilobits per second is usually shortened to kbps or Kbps. Although technically speaking, the term kilobit should
have a lowercase initial letter, it has become common to capitalise it in abbreviation (e.g. "56 Kbps"
or "56K"). The simple "K" might seem ambiguous but, in the context of data transfer, it can
be assumed that the measurement is in bits rather than bytes unless indicated otherwise. |
| IEC Standard |
1 bit (bit) = 0 or 1 = one binary digit
1 kilobit (kbit) = 10^3 bits = 1,000 bits
1 megabit (Mbit) = 10^6 bits = 1,000,000 bits
1 gigabit (Gbit) = 10^9 bits = 1,000,000,000 bits
1 terabit (Tbit) = 10^12 bits = 1,000,000,000,000 bits
1 petabit (Pbit) = 10^15 bits = 1,000,000,000,000,000 bits
1 exabit (Ebit) = 10^18 bits = 1,000,000,000,000,000,000 bits
1 zettabit (Zbit) = 10^21 bits = 1,000,000,000,000,000,000,000 bits
1 yottabit (Ybit) = 10^24 bits = 1,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000 bits |
_______________________________________________
|
xDavid
Knell