Prefixes for Binary Multiples
The International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) in 1998 approved as an IEC International Standard names and symbols for prefixes for binary multiples for use in the fields of data processing and data transmission.
|
Factor
|
Name
|
Symbol
|
Origin
|
Derivation
|
|
210
|
kibi
|
Ki
|
kilobinary: (210)1
|
kilo: (103)1
|
|
220
|
mebi
|
Mi
|
megabinary: (210)2
|
mega: (103)2
|
|
230
|
gibi
|
Gi
|
gigabinary: (210)3
|
giga: (103)3
|
|
240
|
tebi
|
Ti
|
terabinary: (210)4
|
tera: (103)4
|
|
250
|
pebi
|
Pi
|
petabinary: (210)5
|
peta: (103)5
|
|
260
|
exbi
|
Ei
|
exabinary: (210)6
|
exa: (103)6
|
Note: The new prefixes for binary multiples are not part of the International
System of Units (SI). However, for ease of understanding and recall,
they were derived from the SI prefixes for positive powers of ten. As
shown in the table, the name of each new prefix is derived from the name
of the corresponding SI prefix by retaining the first two letters of
the SI prefix and adding the letters bi.
Source: National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST)