Bit to Byte Conversion Calculator: Free Online Tool

Convert bits to bytes with our free online data storage converter.

From:

Bit

To:

Byte

How to Use the Calculator:

Enter the value you want to convert in the 'From' field (Bit).
The converted value in Byte will appear automatically in the 'To' field.
Use the dropdown menus to select different units within the Data Storage category.
Click the swap button (⇌) to reverse the conversion direction.

How to Convert Bit to Byte

Converting Bit to Byte involves multiplying the value by a specific conversion factor, as shown in the formula below.

Formula:

1 Bit = 0.125 bytes

Example Calculation:

Convert 1024 bits: 1024 × 0.125 = 128 bytes

Common Conversion Scenarios:

Data Rate: A 8 b data rate equals 1 B per second.

Disclaimer: For Reference Only

These conversion results are provided for informational purposes only. While we strive for accuracy, we make no guarantees regarding the precision of these results, especially for conversions involving extremely large or small numbers which may be subject to the inherent limitations of standard computer floating-point arithmetic.

Not for professional use. Results should be verified before use in any critical application. View our Terms of Service for more information.

What is a Bit and a Byte?

A bit (short for binary digit) is the most basic unit of information in computing and digital communications. A single bit can have only one of two values, typically represented as 0 or 1.

A byte is a unit of digital information that most commonly consists of 8 bits. Historically, the size of the byte has been hardware-dependent, but 8 bits is now universally accepted as the standard (also known as an octet).

Note: The Bit is part of the imperial/US customary system, primarily used in the US, UK, and Canada for everyday measurements. The Byte belongs to the imperial/US customary system.

History of the Bit and Byte

The term "bit" was first coined by John W. Tukey in a Bell Labs memo in 1947 and popularized by Claude Shannon in his seminal 1948 paper "A Mathematical Theory of Communication". Shannon used the bit as the fundamental unit of information entropy. Early computing relied directly on manipulating bits through mechanical relays or vacuum tubes.

The term "byte" was coined by Werner Buchholz in 1956 during the early design phase for the IBM Stretch computer. It originally described a group of bits used to encode a single character, with the size varying (often 4 to 6 bits). The 8-bit byte became standard with the introduction of the IBM System/360 in the 1960s.

Common Uses for bits and bytes

Explore the typical applications for both Bit (imperial/US) and Byte (imperial/US) to understand their common contexts.

Common Uses for bits

Representing binary states (on/off, true/false).
Quantifying information entropy.
Measuring data transfer rates (e.g., kilobits per second - kbps).
Fundamental building block for all digital data (bytes, kilobytes, etc.).
Processor architecture specifications (e.g., 32-bit, 64-bit processors).

Common Uses for bytes

Measuring file sizes (e.g., kilobytes, megabytes, gigabytes).
Representing single characters in character encoding systems (like ASCII, UTF-8).
Quantifying computer memory (RAM) and storage capacity (hard drives, SSDs).
Defining data types in programming languages (e.g., byte, char).

Frequently Asked Questions

Questions About Bit (b)

How many bits are in a byte?

There are typically 8 bits in 1 byte. This is the most common standard in modern computing.

What does a bit represent?

A bit represents the smallest possible unit of information, corresponding to a choice between two possibilities. In electronics, this is often represented by the presence or absence of an electrical charge or voltage level.

Why is it called a binary digit?

It's called a binary digit because it exists in a binary (base-2) system, meaning it can only have one of two possible values (0 or 1), unlike the decimal system (base-10) which uses digits 0 through 9.

About Byte (B)

How many bits are in a byte?

There are 8 bits in one byte according to the modern standard.

What's the difference between a bit (b) and a byte (B)?

A bit is the smallest unit (0 or 1), while a byte is a group of 8 bits. Data storage is usually measured in Bytes (B, KB, MB, GB), while data transfer rates are often measured in bits (bps, kbps, Mbps).

How many values can a byte represent?

An 8-bit byte can represent 2^8 = 256 different values (from 0 to 255).

Why 8 bits?

The 8-bit standard emerged partly because it efficiently represents powers of 2 and accommodates encoding schemes like ASCII, which initially used 7 bits plus a parity bit.

Conversion Table: Bit to Byte

Bit (b)	Byte (B)
1	0.125
5	0.625
10	1.25
25	3.125
50	6.25
100	12.5
500	62.5
1,000	125

All Data Storage Conversions

Bit to Kilobit Bit to Kilobyte Bit to Megabit Bit to Megabyte Bit to Gigabit Bit to Gigabyte Bit to Terabit Bit to Terabyte Bit to Petabit Bit to Petabyte Bit to Exabit Bit to Exabyte Bit to Kibibit Bit to Kibibyte Bit to Mebibit Bit to Mebibyte Bit to Gibibit Bit to Gibibyte Bit to Tebibit Bit to Tebibyte Bit to Pebibit Bit to Pebibyte Bit to Exbibit Bit to Exbibyte Byte to Bit Byte to Kilobit Byte to Kilobyte Byte to Megabit Byte to Megabyte Byte to Gigabit Byte to Gigabyte Byte to Terabit Byte to Terabyte Byte to Petabit Byte to Petabyte Byte to Exabit Byte to Exabyte Byte to Kibibit Byte to Kibibyte Byte to Mebibit Byte to Mebibyte Byte to Gibibit Byte to Gibibyte Byte to Tebibit Byte to Tebibyte Byte to Pebibit Byte to Pebibyte Byte to Exbibit Byte to Exbibyte Kilobit to Bit Kilobit to Byte Kilobit to Kilobyte Kilobit to Megabit Kilobit to Megabyte Kilobit to Gigabit Kilobit to Gigabyte Kilobit to Terabit Kilobit to Terabyte Kilobit to Petabit Kilobit to Petabyte Kilobit to Exabit Kilobit to Exabyte Kilobit to Kibibit Kilobit to Kibibyte Kilobit to Mebibit Kilobit to Mebibyte Kilobit to Gibibit Kilobit to Gibibyte Kilobit to Tebibit Kilobit to Tebibyte Kilobit to Pebibit Kilobit to Pebibyte Kilobit to Exbibit Kilobit to Exbibyte Kilobyte to Bit Kilobyte to Byte Kilobyte to Kilobit Kilobyte to Megabit Kilobyte to Megabyte Kilobyte to Gigabit Kilobyte to Gigabyte Kilobyte to Terabit Kilobyte to Terabyte Kilobyte to Petabit Kilobyte to Petabyte Kilobyte to Exabit Kilobyte to Exabyte Kilobyte to Kibibit Kilobyte to Kibibyte Kilobyte to Mebibit Kilobyte to Mebibyte Kilobyte to Gibibit Kilobyte to Gibibyte Kilobyte to Tebibit Kilobyte to Tebibyte Kilobyte to Pebibit Kilobyte to Pebibyte Kilobyte to Exbibit Kilobyte to Exbibyte Megabit to Bit Megabit to Byte Megabit to Kilobit Megabit to Kilobyte Megabit to Megabyte Megabit to Gigabit Megabit to Gigabyte Megabit to Terabit Megabit to Terabyte Megabit to Petabit Megabit to Petabyte Megabit to Exabit Megabit to Exabyte Megabit to Kibibit Megabit to Kibibyte Megabit to Mebibit Megabit to Mebibyte Megabit to Gibibit Megabit to Gibibyte Megabit to Tebibit Megabit to Tebibyte

Bit to Byte Conversion Calculator: Free Online Tool

Bit to Byte Calculator

How to Use the Calculator:

How to Convert Bit to Byte

Formula:

Example Calculation:

Common Conversion Scenarios:

What is a Bit and a Byte?

History of the Bit and Byte

Common Uses for bits and bytes

Common Uses for bits

Common Uses for bytes

Frequently Asked Questions

Questions About Bit (b)

How many bits are in a byte?

What does a bit represent?

Why is it called a binary digit?

About Byte (B)

How many bits are in a byte?

What's the difference between a bit (b) and a byte (B)?

How many values can a byte represent?

Why 8 bits?

Conversion Table: Bit to Byte

All Data Storage Conversions

Related Data Storage Conversions

Other Units from Data Storage