Saved calculators
Saved calculators
Conversion

MB to YB converter

Report a bug

Share calculator

Add our free calculator to your website

Please enter a valid URL. Only HTTPS URLs are supported.
Use as default values for the embed calculator what is currently in input fields of the calculator on the page.
Input border focus color, switchbox checked color, select item hover color etc.
Please agree to the Terms of Use.
Preview

Save calculator

What Are MB and YB?

Megabyte (MB) and Yottabyte (YB) are units of digital storage. However, their definitions vary depending on the system used:

  1. Binary (IEC Standard):
  • 1 MB = 1,048,576 bytes (2²⁰ bytes).
  • 1 YB = 1,208,925,819,614,629,174,706,176 bytes (2⁸⁰ bytes).
  1. Decimal (SI System):
  • 1 MB = 1,000,000 bytes (10⁶ bytes).
  • 1 YB = 1,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000 bytes (10²⁴ bytes).

The key difference lies in the base: binary uses 1024 (2¹⁰) as the multiplier, while the decimal system uses 1000.

Formula

To convert MB to YB, use these formulas:

Binary (IEC)

YB=MB×220280=MB×2−60=MB÷(10246)\text{YB} = \frac{\text{MB} \times 2^{20}}{2^{80}} = \text{MB} \times 2^{-60} = \text{MB} \div (1024^6)

Decimal (SI)

YB=MB×1061024=MB×10−18=MB÷(10006)\text{YB} = \frac{\text{MB} \times 10^{6}}{10^{24}} = \text{MB} \times 10^{-18} = \text{MB} \div (1000^6)

Examples

Example 1: Converting 5,000,000 MB to YB

Decimal System:

5,000,000 MB÷10006=5,000,000÷1,000,000,000,000,000,000=5×10−12 YB5{,}000{,}000\ \text{MB} \div 1000^6 = 5{,}000{,}000 \div 1{,}000{,}000{,}000{,}000{,}000{,}000 = 5 \times 10^{-12}\ \text{YB}

Result: 0.000000000005 YB.

Binary System:

5,000,000 MB÷10246=5,000,000÷1,152,921,504,606,846,976≈4.3368×10−12 YB5{,}000{,}000\ \text{MB} \div 1024^6 = 5{,}000{,}000 \div 1{,}152{,}921{,}504{,}606{,}846{,}976 \approx 4.3368 \times 10^{-12}\ \text{YB}

Result: ~0.0000000000043368 YB.

Example 2: Converting 250,000 MB to YB

Decimal System:

250,000 MB÷10006=2.5×10−13 YB250{,}000\ \text{MB} \div 1000^6 = 2.5 \times 10^{-13}\ \text{YB}

Result: 0.00000000000025 YB.

Binary System:

250,000 MB÷10246≈2.1684×10−13 YB250{,}000\ \text{MB} \div 1024^6 \approx 2.1684 \times 10^{-13}\ \text{YB}

Result: ~0.00000000000021684 YB.

Historical Context

The International System of Units (SI) introduced decimal prefixes in 1960, while the binary (IEC) standard emerged in 1998 to resolve confusion in computing. For example, early operating systems reported storage using SI prefixes (e.g., “1 GB” = 10⁹ bytes), even though memory was allocated in binary (1 GiB = 2³⁰ bytes). This discrepancy led to the IEC standard to formalize binary-based units.

Applications of Yottabyte-Scale Conversions

  • Scientific Research: Projects like the Large Hadron Collider generate ~1 PB (10¹⁵ bytes) of data daily. Converting this to YB highlights the scale needed for future storage.
  • Cloud Storage: Providers like AWS or Google Cloud use SI units for pricing. Converting user data (e.g., 10⁹ MB) to YB contextualizes enterprise-level storage costs.
  • Astrophysics: The Square Kilometer Array telescope will produce ~1 YB of data annually by 2030.

Notes

  1. Precision Matters: A 1% error in unit selection (SI vs. IEC) grows exponentially at yottabyte scales.
  2. Real-World Usage: Most consumer devices use SI units, while operating systems like Windows use IEC for memory.
  3. Future-Proofing: YB is rarely used today but will become critical as global data generation approaches 175 zettabytes (10²¹ bytes) by 2025.

Frequently Asked Questions

How to Convert 10,000,000 MB to YB in Both Systems?

Decimal (SI):

10,000,000 MB÷10006=1×10−11 YB10{,}000{,}000\ \text{MB} \div 1000^6 = 1 \times 10^{-11}\ \text{YB}

Binary (IEC):

10,000,000 MB÷10246≈8.6736×10−12 YB10{,}000{,}000\ \text{MB} \div 1024^6 \approx 8.6736 \times 10^{-12}\ \text{YB}

Why Do Two Systems Exist?

The SI system simplifies calculations for manufacturers, while the IEC standard aligns with computing’s binary nature. For example, a “1 TB” hard drive (SI) holds ~0.909 TiB (IEC), creating a ~9% “loss” in reported capacity.

How Many MB Are in 1 YB?

Decimal:

1 YB=1024÷106=1018 MB1\ \text{YB} = 10^{24} \div 10^{6} = 10^{18}\ \text{MB}

Binary:

1 YB (IEC)=280÷220=260 MB≈1.1529215×1018 MB1\ \text{YB (IEC)} = 2^{80} \div 2^{20} = 2^{60}\ \text{MB} \approx 1.1529215 \times 10^{18}\ \text{MB}

Is a Yottabyte a Practical Unit Today?

No. Global internet traffic in 2023 was ~4.4 zettabytes (10²¹ bytes), which is 0.0044 YB. However, fields like genomics and AI may require YB-scale storage by 2040.

What Happens If I Use the Wrong System?

A 1 PB (SI) dataset equals ~0.909 PiB (IEC). Using SI for binary calculations undercounts by ~9%. For 1 YB, this error balloons to ~20.89%:

1 YB (SI)≈0.827 YB (IEC)1\ \text{YB (SI)} \approx 0.827\ \text{YB (IEC)}

Similar calculators

Privacy policy Terms of use