Bit to Megabyte Conversion Calculator: Free Online Tool

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

From:

Bit

To:

Megabyte

How to Use the Calculator:

Enter the value you want to convert in the 'From' field (Bit).
The converted value in Megabyte 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 Megabyte

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

Formula:

1 Bit = 1.2500e-7 megabytes

Example Calculation:

Convert 1024 bits: 1024 × 1.2500e-7 = 0.000128 megabytes

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 Megabyte?

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 megabyte (MB) is a multiple of the unit byte for digital information. The International System of Units (SI) defines the prefix mega- (M) as 1,000,000 (106). Therefore, one megabyte is exactly 1,000,000 bytes (or 1000 kilobytes).

Similar to the kilobyte, the term "megabyte" has historically been used ambiguously in computing to represent 1,048,576 (220 or 10242) bytes. This binary usage correctly refers to a mebibyte (MiB), a unit defined by the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) to eliminate confusion.

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

History of the Bit and Megabyte

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 prefix 'mega-' (meaning million) was adopted as an SI prefix in 1960. As computer storage capacities grew beyond kilobytes in the 1970s and 1980s, megabyte became a common unit. However, because computer memory and architecture are often based on powers of two, 1024 * 1024 = 1,048,576 bytes became a convenient measure. This led to the widespread but conflicting use of "megabyte" for both 1,000,000 bytes (decimal) and 1,048,576 bytes (binary).

To address this ambiguity, the IEC introduced the binary prefixes (kibi-, mebi-, gibi-, etc.) in 1998. This standard designated MiB (mebibyte) specifically for 220 bytes and reaffirmed MB (megabyte) strictly for 106 bytes. Despite the standard, the dual usage persists, especially in marketing (using MB for 106) versus operating system reporting (often using MB ambiguously for 220, though sometimes correctly using MiB).

Common Uses for bits and megabytes

Explore the typical applications for both Bit (imperial/US) and Megabyte (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 megabytes

The megabyte (MB), representing 1,000,000 bytes, is commonly used for:

Measuring the size of medium-sized files (e.g., high-resolution images, MP3 audio files, short video clips, documents with embedded images).
Quantifying the capacity of older storage media like floppy disks and CDs.
Specifying the size of software downloads or application components.
Used by storage device manufacturers (hard drives, SSDs, USB drives) to define capacity based on the decimal system (106 bytes).
Measuring data transfer rates in megabytes per second (MB/s or MBps).

The informal use representing 1,048,576 bytes (correctly MiB) appeared frequently in:

Quantifying computer RAM capacity (though MiB is the precise term).
Reporting file sizes or disk space by many operating systems and software, leading to discrepancies with advertised storage capacities.

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 Megabyte (MB)

How many bytes are in a megabyte (MB)?

According to the official SI standard, 1 megabyte (MB) = 1,000,000 bytes (106 bytes). However, in some computing contexts, particularly older ones or relating to RAM, "megabyte" was informally used to mean 1,048,576 bytes (220 bytes). The correct term for 1,048,576 bytes is 1 mebibyte (MiB). Context is key if the specific symbol (MB vs. MiB) isn't used.

How many kilobytes (KB) are in a megabyte (MB)?

Based on the SI standard, 1 megabyte (MB) = 1000 kilobytes (KB) (since 1 MB = 1,000,000 bytes and 1 KB = 1000 bytes). If using the binary interpretation (which should correctly use MiB and KiB), then 1 mebibyte (MiB) = 1024 kibibytes (KiB) (since 1 MiB = 1,048,576 bytes and 1 KiB = 1024 bytes).

What is the difference between a megabyte (MB) and a mebibyte (MiB)?

MB (megabyte): Based on the decimal prefix 'mega-', meaning 1,000,000 bytes (106 bytes). This is the SI standard.
MiB (mebibyte): Based on the binary prefix 'mebi-', meaning 1,048,576 bytes (220 bytes). This is the IEC standard for binary multiples.

A mebibyte (MiB) is approximately 4.86% larger than a megabyte (MB) (1 MiB ≈ 1.0486 MB). Using MiB when referring to 1,048,576 bytes avoids ambiguity, especially in contexts like RAM measurement or OS file size reporting.

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

A megabyte (MB) measures data storage in bytes. 1 MB = 1,000,000 bytes (SI standard).
A megabit (Mb) measures data storage or transfer speed in bits. 1 Mb = 1,000,000 bits (SI standard).

Since 1 byte = 8 bits, 1 megabyte (MB) is equal to 8 megabits (Mb). File sizes are typically measured in MB, while internet speeds are often measured in Mbps (megabits per second).

Conversion Table: Bit to Megabyte

Bit (b)	Megabyte (MB)
1	0
5	0
10	0
25	0
50	0
100	0
500	0
1,000	0

All Data Storage Conversions

Bit to Byte Bit to Kilobit Bit to Kilobyte Bit to Megabit 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