How many bytes are there in a kilobyte?

A kilobyte is defined as 1,024 bytes in the context of computer science and data storage. This definition arises from the binary system, which is foundational to how computers operate. Typically, a kilobyte represents 2^10 bytes, which equals 1,024.

The confusion often arises because in some contexts, particularly related to data transfer rates or storage device capacities, the metric system is applied, where a kilobyte might be referred to as 1,000 bytes. However, in traditional computing, especially in terms of memory and file sizes, the binary interpretation of a kilobyte as 1,024 bytes is the standard.

Understanding this distinction is crucial for comprehending file sizes and computer memory calculations, as they heavily rely on binary multipliers, such as kilobytes, megabytes (1,024 kilobytes), and so forth.