Measuring data storage- bits & bytes

• Bit


  A single unit of digital information
• Byte


  A set of 8 bits
• Kilobyte (KB)


  1024 bytes
• Megabyte (MB)


  1048 576 bytes
• Calculating bits in 3 MB

  1. Convert 3 MB to bytes (3 x 1048 576 = 3 145 728 bytes)

  2. Convert bytes to bits (3 145 728 bytes x 8 = 25 165 824 bits)
• 3 megabytes = 25 165 824 bits
• Calculating bytes in 512 MB

  512 MB = 512 x 1048 576 bytes
• Calculating bits in 512 MB

  512 MB x 8 bits/byte = 4 294 967 296 bits
• For data transmission, the industry uses 1000 and 1000 000 for kilo and mega, respectively, and measures in bits rather than bytes
• A 28 Mbps (megabits per second) broadband connection is 28 000 000 bits per second