How does the kilo prefix differ between data throughput and data storage?

How does the kilo prefix differ between data throughput and data storage?

• A. Throughput kilo equals 1024; Storage kilo equals 1000
• B. Throughput kilo equals 1000; Storage kilo equals 1024
• C. Throughput kilo equals 1000; Storage kilo equals 1000
• D. Throughput kilo equals 1024; Storage kilo equals 1024

Answer: (B)

Prefixes aren’t tied to one single context in computing. For data throughput, which is a rate over time, the kilo prefix uses decimal, meaning 1 kilobit per second equals 1000 bits per second (and 1 kilobyte per second would be 1000 bytes per second in many contexts). For data storage, sizes have historically used the binary scale, where 1 kilobyte is 1024 bytes. That binary convention arises from how memory is addressed in powers of two. So in this framing, the kilo prefix is 1000 for throughput but 1024 for storage. (Modern standards also distinguish KiB for 1024 and kB for 1000, but many exams reflect the traditional distinction.)

Prefixes aren’t tied to one single context in computing. For data throughput, which is a rate over time, the kilo prefix uses decimal, meaning 1 kilobit per second equals 1000 bits per second (and 1 kilobyte per second would be 1000 bytes per second in many contexts). For data storage, sizes have historically used the binary scale, where 1 kilobyte is 1024 bytes. That binary convention arises from how memory is addressed in powers of two. So in this framing, the kilo prefix is 1000 for throughput but 1024 for storage. (Modern standards also distinguish KiB for 1024 and kB for 1000, but many exams reflect the traditional distinction.)