UnitsConverter.io

Bit to Megabit Conversion Calculator: Free Online Tool

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

Bit to Megabit Calculator

Bit
Megabit

How to Use the Calculator:

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

How to Convert Bit to Megabit

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

Formula:

1 Bit = 1.0000e-6 megabits

Example Calculation:

Convert 1024 bits: 1024 × 1.0000e-6 = 0.001024 megabits

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 Megabit?

A bit, short for binary digit, is the most fundamental and smallest unit of data in computing, digital communications, and information theory. It represents a logical state containing one of two possible values. These values are most often represented as 0 or 1, but can also be interpreted as true/false, yes/no, on/off, or any other two mutually exclusive states. All digital information, from simple text to complex video, is ultimately composed of bits.

A megabit (Mb or Mbit) is a multiple of the bit unit for digital information or computer storage. The prefix mega- (symbol M) is defined in the International System of Units (SI) as a multiplier of 106 (1 million). Therefore, 1 megabit = 1,000,000 bits (or 1000 kilobits).

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

History of the Bit and Megabit

The concept and term "bit" were formalized in the mid-20th century.

  • Coined: John W. Tukey is credited with shortening "binary digit" to "bit" in a Bell Labs memo dated January 9, 1947.
  • Popularized: Claude E. Shannon, the father of information theory, extensively used the term in his groundbreaking 1948 paper, "A Mathematical Theory of Communication." Shannon established the bit as the basic unit for quantifying information and communication channel capacity.
  • Early Computing: The earliest computers relied directly on representing and manipulating individual bits using technologies like electromechanical relays, vacuum tubes, and later, transistors.

As data transfer speeds increased beyond the kilobit range, the megabit became a common unit, particularly in networking and telecommunications. Like the kilobit, it generally adheres to the SI standard (106 bits) rather than the binary interpretation sometimes used for bytes (which would be 220 bits, correctly termed a mebibit). The introduction of binary prefixes like 'mebi-' aimed to resolve this potential ambiguity.

Common Uses for bits and megabits

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

Common Uses for bits

Bits are the bedrock upon which the digital world is built. Key applications include:

  • Representing Binary Data: Encoding all forms of digital information, including numbers, text characters (via standards like ASCII or Unicode), images, and sound.
  • Boolean Logic: Representing true/false values in logical operations within computer processors and software.
  • Information Measurement: Quantifying information content and entropy, as defined by Shannon.
  • Data Transfer Rates: Measuring the speed of data transmission over networks (e.g., internet speed) or between computer components, typically expressed in kilobits per second (kbps), megabits per second (Mbps), or gigabits per second (Gbps).
  • Data Storage Capacity: While storage is often measured in bytes (groups of 8 bits), the underlying capacity is based on the number of bits a medium can store.
  • Processor Architecture: Defining the amount of data a CPU can process at once (e.g., 32-bit or 64-bit processors refers to the width of their data registers and buses).
  • Error Detection and Correction: Using parity bits and more complex coding schemes to ensure data integrity during transmission or storage.

Common Uses for megabits

  • Measuring data transfer rates (e.g., internet connection speeds in Mbps - megabits per second).
  • Quantifying network bandwidth.
  • Specifying the capacity of older storage media or certain types of memory chips.
  • Video and audio bitrates (e.g., streaming quality often measured in Mbps).

Frequently Asked Questions

Questions About Bit (b)

How many bits are in a byte?

By the most widely accepted standard in modern computing, there are 8 bits in 1 byte. A byte is often the smallest addressable unit of memory in computer architecture.

What's the difference between a bit and a byte?

A bit is the smallest single unit of data (a 0 or 1). A byte is a collection of bits, typically 8 bits. Bytes are commonly used to represent characters, measure file sizes, and quantify computer memory or storage capacity (e.g., kilobytes (KB), megabytes (MB), gigabytes (GB)). Data transfer speeds, however, are often measured in bits per second (kbps, Mbps, Gbps).

What does a bit physically represent?

In digital electronics, a bit's value (0 or 1) is typically represented by a physical state, such as:

  • Different voltage levels (e.g., low voltage for 0, high voltage for 1).
  • The presence or absence of electrical current.
  • Different states of magnetic polarization on a disk.
  • The reflection or non-reflection of light from a point on an optical disc (like a CD or DVD).

Why is it called a 'binary' digit?

It's called "binary" because it belongs to a base-2 number system. Unlike the familiar decimal (base-10) system which uses ten digits (0-9), the binary system uses only two digits: 0 and 1.

How are bits used in measuring internet speed?

Internet speed, or data transfer rate, measures how quickly data can move from one point to another. This is typically measured in bits per second (bps) or multiples like kbps (kilobits per second), Mbps (megabits per second), and Gbps (gigabits per second). A higher number means faster data transfer. For example, a 100 Mbps connection can transfer 100 million bits every second.

Is a bit the absolute smallest unit of data?

Yes, in the context of classical computing and digital information theory, the bit is considered the most fundamental and indivisible unit of information.

About Megabit (Mb)

How many bits are in a megabit?

There are exactly 1,000,000 bits (or 106 bits) in 1 megabit (Mb), based on the standard SI definition of the prefix 'mega-'.

What is the difference between a megabit (Mb) and a megabyte (MB)?

  • A megabit (Mb) measures bits and equals 1,000,000 bits. It's often used for data transfer rates.
  • A megabyte (MB) measures bytes. According to SI standards, it equals 1,000,000 bytes. (Note: Historically, MB was sometimes used informally for 1,048,576 bytes, which is correctly termed a mebibyte (MiB)).

Since 1 byte = 8 bits, 1 megabyte (1,000,000 bytes) is equal to 8,000,000 bits. Therefore, a megabyte represents 8 times more data than a megabit.

What is the difference between a megabit (Mb) and a mebibit (Mib)?

  • A megabit (Mb) uses the decimal SI prefix 'mega-' and equals 106 bits (1,000,000 bits).
  • A mebibit (Mib) uses the binary IEC prefix 'mebi-' and equals 220 bits (1,048,576 bits).

A mebibit is approximately 4.86% larger than a megabit (1 Mib ≈ 1.0486 Mb). Using Mib provides clarity when specifically referring to 1,048,576 bits.

If my internet speed is 100 Mbps, how fast is that in MBps?

To convert Mbps (megabits per second) to MBps (megabytes per second), you divide by 8 (since 1 byte = 8 bits). So, 100 Mbps / 8 = 12.5 MBps. This means you can theoretically download 12.5 megabytes of data per second.

Conversion Table: Bit to Megabit

Bit (b)Megabit (Mb)
10
50
100
250
500
1000
5000.001
1,0000.001

All Data Storage Conversions

Bit to ByteBit to KilobitBit to KilobyteBit to MegabyteBit to GigabitBit to GigabyteBit to TerabitBit to TerabyteBit to PetabitBit to PetabyteBit to ExabitBit to ExabyteBit to KibibitBit to KibibyteBit to MebibitBit to MebibyteBit to GibibitBit to GibibyteBit to TebibitBit to TebibyteBit to PebibitBit to PebibyteBit to ExbibitBit to ExbibyteByte to BitByte to KilobitByte to KilobyteByte to MegabitByte to MegabyteByte to GigabitByte to GigabyteByte to TerabitByte to TerabyteByte to PetabitByte to PetabyteByte to ExabitByte to ExabyteByte to KibibitByte to KibibyteByte to MebibitByte to MebibyteByte to GibibitByte to GibibyteByte to TebibitByte to TebibyteByte to PebibitByte to PebibyteByte to ExbibitByte to ExbibyteKilobit to BitKilobit to ByteKilobit to KilobyteKilobit to MegabitKilobit to MegabyteKilobit to GigabitKilobit to GigabyteKilobit to TerabitKilobit to TerabyteKilobit to PetabitKilobit to PetabyteKilobit to ExabitKilobit to ExabyteKilobit to KibibitKilobit to KibibyteKilobit to MebibitKilobit to MebibyteKilobit to GibibitKilobit to GibibyteKilobit to TebibitKilobit to TebibyteKilobit to PebibitKilobit to PebibyteKilobit to ExbibitKilobit to ExbibyteKilobyte to BitKilobyte to ByteKilobyte to KilobitKilobyte to MegabitKilobyte to MegabyteKilobyte to GigabitKilobyte to GigabyteKilobyte to TerabitKilobyte to TerabyteKilobyte to PetabitKilobyte to PetabyteKilobyte to ExabitKilobyte to ExabyteKilobyte to KibibitKilobyte to KibibyteKilobyte to MebibitKilobyte to MebibyteKilobyte to GibibitKilobyte to GibibyteKilobyte to TebibitKilobyte to TebibyteKilobyte to PebibitKilobyte to PebibyteKilobyte to ExbibitKilobyte to ExbibyteMegabit to BitMegabit to ByteMegabit to KilobitMegabit to KilobyteMegabit to MegabyteMegabit to GigabitMegabit to GigabyteMegabit to TerabitMegabit to TerabyteMegabit to PetabitMegabit to PetabyteMegabit to ExabitMegabit to ExabyteMegabit to KibibitMegabit to KibibyteMegabit to MebibitMegabit to MebibyteMegabit to GibibitMegabit to GibibyteMegabit to TebibitMegabit to Tebibyte

Other Units from Data Storage