Approximately how many bytes are contained in a gigabyte (GB)?

A gigabyte (GB) is a widely recognized unit of digital information storage that is equivalent to approximately 1 billion bytes. This measurement can be understood in terms of binary and decimal systems:

1. In the binary system, which is often used in computing, a gigabyte is defined as 1024 megabytes (MB), and since each megabyte is 1024 kilobytes (KB), a gigabyte can be calculated as follows:

• 1 GB = 1024 MB

• 1 MB = 1024 KB

• 1 KB = 1024 bytes

Hence, 1 GB = 1024 x 1024 x 1024 bytes, which equals 1,073,741,824 bytes.

2. In the decimal system, which is commonly used for marketing storage devices, a gigabyte is approximated as 1 billion bytes (or specifically, 1,000,000,000 bytes), reflecting the SI (International System of Units) standard.

The answer provided aligns with the commonly used approximation in various contexts, making it the correct choice. On a broader scale, understanding the distinct definitions of storage units can help clarify why this measurement is significant in both technical and