


When we take a picture using a digital camera, we need to have a way to transfer the picture file to a computer and then to a printer to end up with the image printed on a piece of paper. In file sizes, we also use a set of prefixes to express large amounts of data, and you can see these prefixes in the table below (or try the byte conversion calculator).įiles cannot always be in just one computer or machine. This is much better than using a huge number and the same unit of measurement. Like any other unit of measurement, when we talk about large amounts of something, we can use prefixes to quickly show the scale we are dealing with. A single symbol or letter in a text file takes up approximately 1 byte of computer storage. Grouping 8 bits together forms what is called a byte. Storing more bits together means that more information is present in the file. Data stored in bits are represented by 1's and 0's and can be combined with other bits to form useful files like texts, images, audio, or videos.

When storing data, computers use what is called bits, an abbreviation of "binary digits." A bit can save either a yes or a no, black or white, and so on. Computer file sizes vary depending on the amount of data or information a computer file stores.
