Study resource
Units of information common mistakes
Study Units of information with curriculum-aligned Common Mistakes resources, practice links, and exam-focused support.
At a glance
common mistakes
Resource type
Topic
Units of information
AqaA LevelComputer ScienceFundamentals of data representation
Common mistakes
Confusing bits with bytes
Treating a bit as a group of 8 bits, or stating that a byte contains one bit.
Fix itA bit is a single unit with a value of 0 or 1. A byte is a group of 8 bits.
Confusing kB with KiB
Treating 1 kB and 1 KiB as the same quantity, or assuming that the capital I in KiB is optional.
Fix itRemember that kB uses kilo and equals 10^3 B, or 1000 B. KiB uses kibi and equals 2^10 B, or 1024 B. The symbols must be read exactly.
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