Every day we become more dependent on our computers, meaning the more we understand the way they work, the better overall experience we’ll have in the long run.
The Tech industry strives to simplify things for the average PC user as much as it’s possible, but for the inquisitive individuals, there’s always something new to learn.
In this guide, we’ll talk about units of storage, specifically the difference between Megabytes (MB) and Kilobytes (KB).
Which is larger, a kilobyte or a megabyte? Discover below.
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What’s Bigger, A Megabyte Or A Kilobyte?
Before we get into the MB vs. KB battle, it’s important to understand what storage units are, how they work, and where the list begins in terms of size, smallest to largest.
In the realm of electronics and computers, it all began with basic ones and zeros, the “one” indicating electricity flow, and the “zero” indicating no electricity flow. Consider it as a straightforward communication of “yes” or “no” provided to computers. That’s the bit (b). It can be a solitary pixel in a monochrome picture, and it is the tiniest unit of storage.
Next is the byte (B), which contains the value of eight bits, and can look something like 00110010, for example.
Afterward comes the kilobyte (KB), which contains a thousand bytes, and the list goes on. Before answering the question, take a look at the full list, which should give you an immediate answer for the “is MB or KB bigger” question that many need the answer to.
Here’s what it fully looks like:
- bit (b) = 1/8 of a byte
- byte (B) = 1 byte
- kilobyte (KB) = 1,000 bytes
- megabyte (MB) = 1,000,000 bytes
- gigabyte (GB) = 1,000,000,000 bytes
- terabyte (TB) = 1,000,000,000,000 bytes
- petabyte (PB) = 1,000,000,000,000,000 bytes
- exabyte (EB) = 1,000,000,000,000,000,000 bytes
- zettabyte (ZB) = 1,000,000,000,000,000,000,000 bytes
- yottabyte (YB) = 1,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000 bytes
Now, answering the question of whether MB is bigger than KB, yes, a megabyte is indeed larger than a kilobyte, as it includes 1024 kilobytes.
This list also finally answers the question about what’s bigger, MB or GB or KB, which users often require when comparing the different units of measurement.
Kilobyte to Megabyte Calculator (Or Megabyte to Kilobyte Calculator)
To make things even easier for you, we’ve created a calculator that allows you to convert kilobytes to megabytes and vice versa. Feel free to use it for any needs.
What’s Next After KB, MB, GB, TB?
As the computer industry keeps progressing, we keep seeing increased use in some of the larger numbers from the list. For example, floppy disks once offered storage space in kilobytes, and when one of the better ones (the double-sided, high-density floppy that came out in 1986) was introduced to the market, they offered only 1,4MB of memory.
In 2022, hard drives and SSDs (Solid State Drives) now offer terabytes of storage capacity. This number will likely keep increasing in the upcoming years, and we’re more than thrilled to see what the fast-paced technology industry will bring.
Who knows, maybe the “what’s larger MB or KB” question will become irrelevant in the future, as users will try to compare the larger units of storage instead, such as “what’s larger, petabytes or exabytes?”
Conclusion
If you were looking to gain a better, in-depth understanding of the different units of storage, whether you required it to compare internet speeds or different storage products, now you know the difference between all of them.
