Why memory (MegaBytes) goes in mutiples of 16 (16, 32, 64, 128, 256, 512...etc.)?

Answer 1

Some of the answers are right, it is actually in powers of 2 (binary). But the reason WHY has to do with hardware. When ever you add an address line to memory, you double the size. What that means is, if for example the memory device has 8 address lines, you can address 256 memory locations. If you add 1 more address line (total of 9), now you can address 512 memory locations.

In your example, 16 megabytes would need 24 address lines, 32 mb would need 25, 64mb would need 26, etc...

If it still doesnt make sense, then look into binary or base 2 numbering system, because thats the key to understanding it.

Answer 2

If I understand your poorly worded question correctly, you want to know why digital memory size follows a 1-2-4-8-16-32-64-128-256-512 progression.

It is beacuse of two factors; software and hardware related.

digital computers use the binary numbering system (0 and 1) to perform all operations.
It allows large numbers to be calculated rapidly. Early on, during the computer revolution, it was decided that the size of a byte of information would be 8 bits (8 - 0's and 1's). This in turn determined the size of a piece of digital circuitry called a shift register... a digital integrated circuit that moves data through the computer. Later, as technology progressed and computers became faster, 8 bit shift registers were replaced or augmented with larger shift registers which were 16 bit or 32 bit in size.

It was only logical (no pun intended) that memory should be able to store data in multiples of data bytes, i.e. 8, 16 ,32, 64 etc.

This is a simplistic explanation, but should answer your question.

Answer 3

It's not multiples of 16 - it's multiples of 2. Computers use base 2 (a.k.a. binary) numbering - everything is powers of 2. (16 is a power of 2, since 2 X 2 X 2 X 2 = 16. It's 2 to the fourth power)

That's why a megabyte is 1024 kilobytes, not 1000 kilobytes. 1024 is a power of two.

Answer 4

Because the smallest unit is bit that can be either 0 or 1 (only two modes like on or off, etc. ). Therefore all other units like Byte, KiloByte, MegaByte, etc. are exponents of 2. Note that the 1GB that is used so often, is 1024 Mega Bytes, they usually ignore that 24 & just say 1 GB.

Answer 5

Actually memory started out a lot smaller than that then went to 1 MB, 2 MB, 4 MB, 8MB and so on and so on. It is the logical progession of the formula of doubleing. All this has to do with the way we started programming hardware in the beginning. Check out some early books on Computer Hardware and you will learn alot about the progess that has been made in the past 15 years.
Below is a good site to get you started.
http://computer.howstuffworks.com/computer-memory.htm

Answer 6

its not that it really goes in multiples of 16, it goes in powers of 2. modern ram manufacturers however use higher density chips than they used to. the newer modules will contain multiples of 16, 32, 64, or 128MB chips.

Answer 7

It actually goes in multiples of 640kb. That's what DOS operated on.

Answer 8

1gb