Bits to Bytes
Convert Bits to Bytes
"Bits to Bytes" Calculator
Converting Bits to Bytes
What are Bits and Bytes?
Bit (binary digit) is the smallest unit of data in computing. A bit can have only two values: 0 or 1. All digital information — text, images, video, and audio — is ultimately stored and processed as sequences of bits.
Byte is a unit of digital information that consists of 8 bits. A byte can represent 256 different values (from 0 to 255). It is the standard unit used to measure data storage and file sizes.
Bits to Bytes Formula
To convert bits to bytes, use this formula:
bytes = bits ÷ 8Common Conversions
- 8 bits = 1 byte (one character)
- 16 bits = 2 bytes
- 32 bits = 4 bytes (IPv4 address)
- 64 bits = 8 bytes (64-bit integer)
- 128 bits = 16 bytes (IPv6 address)
- 256 bits = 32 bytes (SHA-256 hash)
- 1024 bits = 128 bytes
Common Applications
- Networking: bandwidth is often measured in bits per second (bps)
- Programming: understanding data types and memory allocation
- Cryptography: key sizes are specified in bits (128-bit, 256-bit)
- Data Storage: converting between bit-level and byte-level measurements
See Also
- Bytes to Bits - Convert Bytes to Bits
- Decimal to Binary Converter - Decimal numbers to Binary conversion
- Binary to Decimal Converter - Binary numbers to Decimal conversion
About "Bits to Bytes" Calculator
This converter will help you to convert Bits to Bytes. For example, it can help you find out how many bytes is 8 bits? (The answer is: 1). Enter the number of bits (e.g. '8') and hit the 'Convert' button.
FAQ
How many bits are in one byte?
One byte holds 8 bits. The eight-bit byte became the de facto standard with the IBM System/360 in 1964 and is fixed by the IEC 80000-13 standard, which uses the name "octet" whenever the width has to be unambiguous.
What is the formula to convert bits to bytes?
Divide the number of bits by 8: bytes = bits ÷ 8. For example, 8 bits ÷ 8 = 1 byte and 1000 bits ÷ 8 = 125 bytes. The reverse conversion multiplies bytes by 8.
Why does a 100 Mbit/s connection give only about 12.5 MB/s?
Link speed is quoted in bits per second (lowercase b, as in Mbit/s), while download managers show bytes per second (uppercase B, as in MB/s), so the figure has to be divided by 8: 100 Mbit/s ÷ 8 = 12.5 MB/s. Mixing up "Mb" and "MB" is the most common mistake in this conversion.