2006-11-02 10:14:18 · 4 answers · asked by ben t 2 in Computers & Internet ➔ Hardware ➔ Other - Hardware
Computers run on base-2 arithmetic, since a bit in the computer can only be on or off (positive or negative charge) and thus has only two distinct states. Since this is true, the amount of memory is also expressed in powers of 2, rather than in decimal (base 10) numbers.
1024 is a power of 2 (2 raised to the 10th power):
2 x 2 = 4 (two of the 2s)
4 x 2 = 8 (#3)
8 x 2 = 16 (#4)
16 x 2 = 32 (#5)
32 x 2 = 64 (#6)
64 x 2 = 128 (#7)
128 x 2 = 256 (#8)
256 x 2 = 512 (#9)
512 x 2 = 1024 (#10)
2006-11-02 10:23:30 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
ok a bit (smallest unit of memory) represents and on or and off (think transitors from years ago) and sets a precident for a base of 2. there are 8 bits in a bite(2^3) and because 1000 can not be represented as an even power of two of the next nearest power is selected (1024 or 2^10 thus making to 10 times greater than the step below) so 1024 bites= 1KB and so on up the latter.
2006-11-02 10:28:04 · answer #2 · answered by zspace101 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Because 1,000 is not an even power of 2 and that is what it goes by!!
2006-11-02 10:27:57 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
You're right! People who made the computer could of just made it simpler by just making it 1000 MB, but they just didn't.
2006-11-02 10:19:04 · answer #4 · answered by xXcraYzaZnKiDXx 2 · 0⤊ 1⤋