UnitsConverter.io

Megabit to Kilobit Conversion Calculator: Free Online Tool

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

Megabit to Kilobit Calculator

Megabit
Kilobit

How to Use the Calculator:

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

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

Formula:

1 Megabit = 1000 kilobits

Example Calculation:

Convert 10 megabits: 10 × 1000 = 10000 kilobits

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 Megabit and a Kilobit?

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).

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.

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

History of the Megabit and Kilobit

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.

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.

Common Uses for megabits and kilobits

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

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).

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).

Frequently Asked Questions

Questions 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.

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).

Conversion Table: Megabit to Kilobit

Megabit (Mb)Kilobit (kb)
11,000
55,000
1010,000
2525,000
5050,000
100100,000
500500,000
1,0001,000,000

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 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 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