Exam-style question
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Explain the difference between 1 KiB and 1 kB. Include the prefix name, the symbol, the power used and the number of bytes represented by each.
Model answer
What a good answer should say
- 1 KiB uses the binary prefix kibi, symbol Ki, and represents 2^10 bytes, which is 1024 B.
- 1 kB uses the decimal prefix kilo, symbol k, and represents 10^3 bytes, which is 1000 B.
- The two units therefore use different prefix systems and represent different quantities.
Explanation
Why this works
The key distinction is both the spelling and the symbol. Kibi and Ki identify a power of 2, while kilo and k identify a power of 10.
The historical use of kilobyte to mean kibibyte can cause ambiguity, so the symbols KiB and kB should be read carefully.
Common mistake
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