LexBrew
Usage Entry 1131 / 1350 60-second read

Bit vs. Byte

A single binary digit versus a group of 8 bits.

The comparisoni

✗ Wrong

A megabit and a megabyte are the same thing.

✓ Correct

A megabit is one-eighth of a megabyte. Internet speeds are quoted in megabits (Mb/s); storage is in megabytes (MB).

The ruleii

BIT = 1 binary digit. BYTE = 8 bits.

A BIT is one binary digit (0 or 1). A BYTE is 8 bits, enough to encode one ASCII character. Networks measure speed in bits; storage in bytes. A 100 Mb/s connection downloads at 12.5 MB/s.

Memory aidiii

Remember it like this

Speed uses bits (b). Storage uses bytes (B).

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