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Kilobit to Gibibit Conversion Calculator: Free Online Tool

Convert kilobits to gibibits with our free online data storage converter.

Kilobit to Gibibit Calculator

Kilobit
Gibibit

How to Use the Calculator:

  1. Enter the value you want to convert in the 'From' field (Kilobit).
  2. The converted value in Gibibit 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 Kilobit to Gibibit

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

Formula:

1 Kilobit = 9.3132e-7 gibibits

Example Calculation:

Convert 10 kilobits: 10 × 9.3132e-7 = 9.3132e-6 gibibits

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 Kilobit and a Gibibit?

A kilobit (kb or kbit) is a multiple of the bit unit for digital information or computer storage. The prefix kilo- (symbol k) is defined in the International System of Units (SI) as a multiplier of 103 (1 thousand). Therefore, 1 kilobit = 1000 bits.

A gibibit (Gib) is a unit of digital information equal to 230 bits, which is exactly 1,073,741,824 bits. It uses the binary prefix 'gibi-' established by the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC). The gibibit is closely related to the gigabit (Gb), which is defined using the decimal prefix 'giga-' (109 bits).

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

History of the Kilobit and Gibibit

The use of the "kilo" prefix for bits emerged alongside its use for bytes as computer systems grew. While "kilobyte" was often ambiguously used for 1024 bytes (correctly kibibyte), the term "kilobit" (especially in data transmission contexts) more consistently adhered to the SI standard definition of 1000 bits. The introduction of binary prefixes like 'kibi-' (for kibibit, Kib) aimed to resolve such ambiguities.

The prefix 'gibi-' (representing 230) was defined by the IEC in 1998 along with other binary prefixes (kibi-, mebi-, tebi-, etc.). This standardization aimed to eliminate the confusion caused by using SI prefixes (like kilo-, mega-, giga-) to denote both powers of 1000 (decimal) and powers of 1024 (binary) in computing contexts. The term 'gibibit' specifically refers to the 230 multiple of bits.

Common Uses for kilobits and gibibits

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

Common Uses for kilobits

Kilobits are frequently used in specific contexts:

  • Measuring data transfer rates (e.g., internet connection speeds in kbps - kilobits per second, or Mbps - megabits per second).
  • Quantifying the capacity of certain types of serial communication channels.
  • Specifying audio or video streaming bitrates (e.g., a 128 kbps MP3 audio file).

Common Uses for gibibits

While less common in everyday usage than the gigabit (Gb) which is often used for network speeds (Gbps), the gibibit is important where binary precision is required:

  • Specifying memory chip capacities at the bit level in technical documentation.
  • Internal calculations within networking hardware or software that operate on binary multiples.
  • Theoretical calculations in computer science, information theory, and data transmission analysis.
  • Comparing binary (Gib) and decimal (Gb) data quantities accurately.

Frequently Asked Questions

Questions About Kilobit (kb)

How many bits are in a kilobit (kb)?

There are exactly 1000 bits in 1 kilobit (kb), based on the standard SI definition of the prefix 'kilo-'.

What is the difference between a kilobit (kb) and a kilobyte (KB)?

They measure different aspects of data, though both use the 'kilo-' prefix:

  • A kilobit (kb) measures bits and equals 1000 bits. It's often used for data transfer rates.
  • A kilobyte (KB) measures bytes and, according to SI standards, equals 1000 bytes. It's often used for file sizes and storage capacity. (Note: Historically, KB was sometimes used informally for 1024 bytes, which is correctly termed a kibibyte (KiB)).

Since 1 byte = 8 bits, 1 kilobyte (1000 bytes) is equal to 8000 bits. Therefore, a kilobyte represents 8 times more data than a kilobit.

What is the difference between a kilobit (kb) and a kibibit (Kib)?

  • A kilobit (kb) uses the decimal SI prefix 'kilo-' and equals 103 bits (1,000 bits).
  • A kibibit (Kib) uses the binary IEC prefix 'kibi-' and equals 210 bits (1,024 bits).

A kibibit is 2.4% larger than a kilobit (1 Kib = 1.024 kb). Using Kib provides clarity when specifically referring to 1,024 bits, distinguishing it from the standard kilobit (1000 bits).

Why are internet speeds measured in kilobits (kbps) or megabits (Mbps)?

Data transmission over networks and communication lines often happens serially, meaning one bit is sent after another. Measuring the speed in bits per second (kbps, Mbps, Gbps) provides a direct count of how many of these individual bits can be transferred over the line in one second. Storage capacity (like hard drives or file sizes) is usually measured in bytes (KB, MB, GB) because data is typically organized and accessed in groups of 8 bits (bytes).

About Gibibit (Gib)

How many bits are in a gibibit?

There are exactly 230 bits in 1 gibibit (Gib). This equals 1,073,741,824 bits.

How many mebibits (Mib) are in a gibibit (Gib)?

There are 1,024 mebibits (Mib) in 1 gibibit (Gib). This is because 1 Gib = 230 bits and 1 Mib = 220 bits, and 230 / 220 = 210 = 1,024.

What is the difference between a gibibit (Gib) and a gigabit (Gb)?

A gibibit (Gib) represents 230 bits (1,073,741,824 bits), using the binary prefix 'gibi-'. A gigabit (Gb) represents 109 bits (1,000,000,000 bits), using the decimal prefix 'giga-'. A gibibit is approximately 7.37% larger than a gigabit (1 Gib ≈ 1.074 Gb).

What is the difference between a gibibit (Gib) and a gibibyte (GiB)?

A gibibit (Gib) measures information in bits, while a gibibyte (GiB) measures information in bytes. Assuming the standard 1 byte = 8 bits, 1 gibibyte (GiB) is equal to 8 gibibits (Gib). Both use the binary prefix 'gibi-' (230).

Conversion Table: Kilobit to Gibibit

Kilobit (kb)Gibibit (Gib)
10
50
100
250
500
1000
5000.001
1,0000.001

All Data Storage Conversions

Bit to ByteBit to KilobitBit to KilobyteBit to MegabitBit 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 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

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