Kilobyte (KB) - Unit Information & Conversion
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What is a Kilobyte?
Definition
A kilobyte (KB) is a multiple of the unit byte for digital information. The International System of Units (SI) defines the prefix kilo as 1000 (103); therefore, one kilobyte is 1000 bytes.
However, the term is also widely used in computing contexts to represent 1024 (210) bytes. This usage technically refers to a kibibyte (KiB), a unit defined by the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) specifically for binary multiples.
History
Early computer memory was often organized in powers of two, making 1024 a convenient multiplier for calculations. This led to the common but conflicting use of "kilobyte" to mean 1024 bytes. To resolve this ambiguity, the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) introduced binary prefixes (kibi-, mebi-, gibi-, etc.) in 1998. This standard designated KiB specifically for 1024 bytes and reaffirmed KB strictly for 1000 bytes. Despite the standard, adoption varies, and the dual usage sometimes causes confusion, particularly in marketing versus operating system reporting.
Common Uses
The kilobyte (KB), representing 1000 bytes, is commonly used for:
- Measuring the size of small files (e.g., plain text documents, configuration files, simple icons).
- Quantifying cache sizes in processors (though sometimes KiB might be implied).
- Specifying data transfer rates in kilobytes per second (KB/s) in some contexts (though kilobits per second, kbps, is more common for network speeds).
- Used by some storage device manufacturers (like hard drives, SSDs, USB drives) to define capacity based on the decimal system.
The informal use representing 1024 bytes (correctly KiB) appeared frequently in:
- Quantifying early computer memory capacity.
- Reporting file sizes or disk space by some older operating systems or software.
Kilobyte Conversion Formulas
To Bit:
To Byte:
To Kilobit:
To Megabit:
To Megabyte:
To Gigabit:
To Gigabyte:
To Terabit:
To Terabyte:
To Petabit:
To Petabyte:
To Exabit:
To Exabyte:
To Kibibit:
To Kibibyte:
To Mebibit:
To Mebibyte:
To Gibibit:
To Gibibyte:
To Tebibit:
To Tebibyte:
To Pebibit:
To Pebibyte:
To Exbibit:
To Exbibyte:
Frequently Asked Questions
According to the official SI standard, 1 kilobyte (KB) = 1000 bytes. However, historically and in some computing contexts (especially relating to RAM or older software), "kilobyte" was informally used to mean 1024 bytes. The correct term for 1024 bytes is 1 kibibyte (KiB). Always check the context or look for the specific symbol (KB vs. KiB) if precision is important.
Convert Kilobyte
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