What is bit?
A bit is the smallest unit of digital information, representing a value of either 0 or 1. It is used to express network bandwidth, signal data rates, and low-level binary data in computing and telecommunications.
Real-world uses
Bits are the fundamental unit of data transmission. Network speeds (Wi-Fi, fibre broadband, mobile data) are measured in bits per second (bps and its multiples). Colour depth in digital displays is expressed in bits per channel (8-bit colour = 256 shades per channel). Audio resolution is described in bits (16-bit CD, 24-bit studio audio).
History
The term "bit" (contraction of "binary digit") was coined by mathematician John Tukey in 1947. Claude Shannon formalised the concept in his landmark 1948 paper "A Mathematical Theory of Communication," establishing information theory and defining the bit as the fundamental unit of information.
Common mistakes
Confusing bits with bytes — 8 bits = 1 byte. A "100 Mbps" internet connection transfers 100 megabits, or 12.5 megabytes, per second. Capitalisation matters: "b" = bit, "B" = byte, so "Mb" is not the same as "MB".
What is tebibyte (binary)?
A tebibyte is a binary data unit equal to 1,024 gibibytes, approximately 1.1 terabytes. It is used in technical computing contexts, file systems, and database storage to express precise binary data quantities.
Real-world uses
Tebibytes are used in enterprise storage systems, cloud computing platforms, and high-performance computing where precise binary capacities are required. Amazon S3, Azure Blob Storage, and data warehouse systems often specify storage limits and quotas in TiB. RAID arrays and SAN/NAS volumes are frequently sized in TiB.
History
The tebibyte was standardised by the IEC in 1998 alongside the other binary prefixes (kibi-, mebi-, gibi-). It addressed the growing need for precision as storage capacities entered the terabyte range and the discrepancy between decimal and binary representations became significant for enterprise and scientific computing.
Common mistakes
Confusing TiB (tebibyte, 2^40 = 1,099,511,627,776 bytes) with TB (terabyte, 10^12 = 1,000,000,000,000 bytes). The difference is about 9.95%. A "1 TiB" cloud storage quota holds approximately 10% more data than a "1 TB" quota.
When is this conversion used?
Operating systems and storage manufacturers use different base systems (binary vs decimal), which is why a '1 TB' drive shows less than 1 TB in your file manager. Understanding this conversion prevents confusion about available storage.
Worked examples
1 bit = 1.136868e-13 tebibyte (binary)
1 tebibyte (binary) = 1.099512e+12 byte
How to convert bit to tebibyte (binary)
To convert bit to tebibyte (binary), multiply the value by 1.136868e-13.
To convert tebibyte (binary) back to bit, multiply by 8.796093e+12.
Measurement standards
The International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC 80000-13) defines binary prefixes: 1 KiB = 1,024 bytes, 1 MiB = 1,048,576 bytes. The SI decimal prefixes (kB = 1,000 bytes, MB = 1,000,000 bytes) apply to data units as they do to all SI quantities.
Did you know?
By 2025, the global datasphere is estimated to reach 181 zettabytes — roughly 181 trillion gigabytes. If stored on standard Blu-ray discs, the stack would reach from Earth to Mars and back over 20 times.
Quick reference: bit to tebibyte (binary)
| bit | tebibyte (binary) |
|---|---|
| 0.1 | 1.136868e-14 |
| 0.5 | 5.684342e-14 |
| 1 | 1.136868e-13 |
| 2 | 2.273737e-13 |
| 5 | 5.684342e-13 |
| 10 | 1.136868e-12 |
| 25 | 2.842171e-12 |
| 50 | 5.684342e-12 |
| 100 | 1.136868e-11 |
| 250 | 2.842171e-11 |
| 500 | 5.684342e-11 |
| 1,000 | 1.136868e-10 |
Common values
| bit | tebibyte (binary) | |
|---|---|---|
| A text email | 40,000 bit | 4.547474e-09 tebibyte (binary) |
| An MP3 song (4 min) | 32,000,000 bit | 0.00000364 tebibyte (binary) |
| A smartphone photo | 40,000,000 bit | 0.00000455 tebibyte (binary) |
| An HD movie | 4.000000e+10 bit | 0.00454747 tebibyte (binary) |
| A full hard drive | 8.000000e+12 bit | 0.9094947 tebibyte (binary) |
Available Data units
More bit conversions
- Convert bit to byte
- Convert bit to kilobyte (decimal)
- Convert bit to megabyte (decimal)
- Convert bit to gigabyte (decimal)
- Convert bit to terabyte (decimal)
- Convert bit to kibibyte (binary)
- Convert bit to mebibyte (binary)
- Convert bit to gibibyte (binary)
- Convert bit to tebibyte (binary)
Assumption: both decimal (kB, MB, GB, TB) and binary (KiB, MiB, GiB, TiB) units are included.