Binary Powers of Ten (10)

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Binary Powers of 10

. Bytes Bits . Deviation from 10^x

1 bit = .125 byte. = 1 bit. . .
1 byte = 1 byte. = 8 bits x .
1 kilobyte = 1,024 bytes = 8,192 bits 3 24
1 megabyte = 1,048,576 bytes = 8,388,608 bits 6 48,576
1 gigabyte = 1,073,741,824 bytes = 8,589,934,592 bits 9 73,741,824
1 terabyte = 1,099,511,627,776 bytes = 8,796,093,022,208 bits 12 99,511,627,776
1 petabyte = 1,125,899,906,842,624 bytes = 9,007,199,254,740,992 bits 15 125,899,906,842,624
1 exabyte = 1,152,921,504,606,846,976 bytes = 9,223,372,036,854,775,808 bits 18 152,921,504,606,846,976
1 zettabyte = 1,180,591,620,717,411,303,424 bytes = 9,444,732,965,739,290,427,392 bits 21 180,591,620,717,411,303,424
1 yottabyte = 1,208,925,819,614,629,174,706,176 bytes = 9,671,406,556,917,033,397,649,408 bits 24 208,925,819,614,629,174,706,176
1 xonabyte = 1,237,940,039,285,380,274,899,124,224 bytes = 9,903,520,314,283,042,199,192,993,792 bits 27 237,940,039,285,380,274,899,124,224
1 wekabyte = 1,267,650,600,228,229,401,496,703,205,376 bytes = 10,141,204,801,825,835,211,973,625,643,008 bits 30 267,650,600,228,229,401,496,703,205,376
1 vundabyte = 1,298,074,214,633,706,907,132,624,082,305,024 bytes = 10,384,593,717,069,655,257,060,992,658,440,192 bits 33 298,074,214,633,706,907,132,624,082,305,024

. Bytes 2^X Bits

1 bit = .125 byte. = 1 bit.
1 byte = 1 byte. = 8 bits
1 kilobyte = 1024 bytes = 2^10 8192 bits
1 megabyte = 1048576 bytes = 2^20 8388608 bits
1 gigabyte = 1073741,824 bytes = 2^30 8589934592 bits
1 terabyte = 1099511627776 bytes = 2^40 8796093022208 bits
1 petabyte = 1125899906842624 bytes = 2^50 9007199254740992 bits
1 exabyte = 1152921504606846976 bytes = 2^60 9223372036854775808 bits
1 zettabyte = 1180591620717411303424 bytes = 2^70 9444732965739290427392 bits
1 yottabyte = 1208925819614629174706176 bytes = 2^80 9671406556917033397649408 bits
1 xonabyte = 1237940039285380274899124224 bytes = 9903520314283042199192993792 bits
1 wekabyte = 1267650600228229401496703205376 bytes = 10141204801825835211973625643008 bits
1 vundabyte = 1298074214633706907132624082305024 bytes = 10384593717069655257060992658440192 bits

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Binary Powers of Ten (10)

Some interesting facts about what these various-sized bytes can

store:

* 1 bit: a binary decision

* 1 byte: a character
* 5 Megabytes: The complete works of Shakespeare
* 2 Gigabytes: 20 meters of shelved books
* 10 Terabytes: The printed collection of the US Library of Congress
* 200 Petabytes: All printed material
* 5 Exabytes: All words ever spoken by human beings

Etymology of Units by PC Hariharan

1.Kilo Greek khilioi = 1000
2.Mega Greek megas = great, e.g., Alexandros Megos
3.Giga Latin gigas = giant
4.Tera Greek teras = monster
5.Peta Greek pente = five, fifth prefix, peNta - N = peta
6.Exa Greek hex = six, sixth prefix, Hexa - H = exa Remember, in standard French,
the initial H is silent, so they would pronounce Hexa as Exa.
It is far easier to call it Exa for everyone's sake, right?
7.Zetta almost homonymic with Greek Zeta, but last letter of the Latin alphabet
8.Yotta almost homonymic with Greek iota, but penultimate letter of the Latin alphabet.

The first prefix is number-derived; second, third, and fourth are based on mythology. Fifth and sixth
are supposed to be just that: fifth and sixth. But, with the seventh, another fork has been taken. The
General Conference of Weights and Measures (CGMP, from the French; they have been
headquartered, since 1874, in Sevres on the outskirts of Paris) has now decided to name the
prefixes, starting with the seventh, with the letters of the Latin alphabet, but starting from the end.
Now, that makes it all clear! Remember, both according to CGMP and SI, the prefixes refer to powers
of 10. Mega is 10**6, exactly 1,000,000, kilo is exactly 1000, not 1024.

With thanks to Duke Ionescu and PC Hariharan for the information contained in the above tables.

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Powers of Ten - SI Prefixes

The following tables of prefixes show how to use terms like Gigabytes and Nanoseconds.
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Binary Powers of Ten (10)

The prefix is placed on the front of words to imply a multiple of millions or billions,
or to show a division by (negative powers of ten) a number, as in microsecond.
These prefixes are used with metric measurements. They are also called SI prefixes,
because the metric units are known as the SI Units, where SI means Systeme Internationale.

Powers of 10 - SI Prefixes
prefix letter power of 10 multiplier US English words
Greater than one - a multiple
kilo K 3 1,000 one thousand
mega M 6 1,000,000 one million
giga G 9 1,000,000,000 one billion
tera T 12 1,000,000,000,000 one trillion
peta P 15 1,000,000,000,000,000 one quadrillion
exa E 18 1,000,000,000,000,000,000 one quintillion
zetta Z 21 1,000,000,000,000,000,000,000 one sextillion
yotta Y 24 1,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000 one septillion
Less than one - a fraction
milli m -3 1/1,000 one thousandth
micro µ * -6 1/1,000,000 one millionth
nano n -9 1/1,000,000,000 one billionth
pico p -12 1/1,000,000,000,000 one trillionth
femto f -15 1/1,000,000,000,000,000 one quadrillionth
atto a -18 1/1,000,000,000,000,000,000 one quintillionth
zecto z -21 1/1,000,000,000,000,000,000,000 one sextillionth
yocto y -24 1/1,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000 one septillionth
* note: the letter for micro is the Greek letter 'mu'.
Examples:
One picosecond is 0.0000000000001 second, or 10-12 second.
(Some say "pie-co", some say "pee-co.")
A terawatt is 1,000,000,000,000 watts of energy.
166 Megahertz means 166 million cycles per second.

Information in the above table courtesy John Bagwell

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Binary Powers of Ten (10)

The Peta-Principle
Jim Binder

Since shortly after the French Revolution of 1789, scientists--and eventually computer scientists--have found it convenient to refer to large quantities of various
units of measure with verbal prefixes and letter symbols. Thus kilo- (symbol K) and mega- (M) stand for 10**3 and 10**6, thousands and millions. After World
War II, this pair of terms was extended, three zeroes at a time, to giga- (G) and tera- (T), standing for 10**9 and 10**12, billions and trillions (usage here and
below is American). In 1975, the world arbiter of the metric system, the General Conference of Weights and Measures (CGPM), based at Sevres near Paris,
agreed to add two more terms to the ascending series: peta- (P) and exa- (E) for 10**15 and 10**18, quadrillions and quintillions.

The creation of these newest terms is interesting. The older prefixes, kilo-, mega-, giga-, and tera-, are generally understood to be derived from the ancient
Greek words for "thousand," "large," "giant," and "monster," respectively. But peta- departs from the traditional pattern to the extent that there is no Greek (or
any other) word to explain it in its present form.

Considering the context, however, (preceding exa-) it is the Greek prefix for "five," penta-, minus the letter "n." The reduction of five letters to four makes it
similar in this respect to the existing prefixes. On the other hand, exa- has been reduced to three letters by dropping the "h" from hexa-, the Greek prefix for
"six," possibly because the "h" would be silent in standard French.

According to a CGPM report, prefixes meaning "five" and "six" are used because 10**15 and 10**18 are fifth and sixth in the ascending series 10**3, 10**6,
10**9, and 10**12.

(If tera- for 10**12 were taken to mean the Greek prefix for "four," te(t)ra-, minus the second letter "t," that would be an additional reason for its being followed
by pe(n)ta- as the prefix for "five." However, the acceptance of tera- as derived from "teras," the Greek word for "monster," seems to be universal.)

The use of Greek words for magnitudes through 10**12 turns out to be awkward in the late twentieth century, since it is difficult to extend the series easily.
(After all, what could be bigger than giants and monsters?) Yet it would be even more awkward to throw away the established size-words and start from
scratch. Therefore, a backward switch in midstream from a Greek-conceptual to the original Greek-numerical basis (using kilo- for "thousand") is announced
as the "expedient" thing to do, simultaneously preserving tradition and leaving the way open to further expansion.

Since 1975, though, and so quietly that current editions of the Encyclopedia Brittanica and World Almanac do not recognize their advent, prefixes with
corresponding symbols have materialized for 10**21 and 10**24: zetta- (Z) and yotta- (Y), denoting sextillions and septillions. With these it is easy to see yet
another change of direction. While still disyllabic, the names are now semi-artificial (echoing Greek zeta and iota) and symbol-driven, and the series is now
based on the Latin alphabet, starting with the last letter and moving backwards, with a long way to go before reaching A. Could this be the last terminological
contortion?

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