Gigabits per hour to bits per hour conversion

How to convert gigabits per hour to bits per hour?

To convert Gigabits per hour (Gb/h) to bits per hour (b/h), you need to know the definition of a Gigabit. There are two common ways to define a Gigabit: using base 10 and base 2. Let's explore both.

Base 10 (Decimal)

In base 10, 1 Gigabit (Gb) equals $1 \times 10^9$ bits (b).

Conversion Formula:

$\text{bits per hour (b/h)} = \text{Gigabits per hour (Gb/h)} \times 10^9$

Example Calculation:

$1 \, \text{Gb/h} = 1 \times 10^9 \, \text{b/h}$

So, 1 Gigabit per hour is $1 \times 10^9$ bits per hour in base 10.

Base 2 (Binary)

In base 2, 1 Gibibit (Gibit) equals $2^{30}$ bits.

Conversion Formula:

$\text{bits per hour (b/h)} = \text{Gibibits per hour (Gibit/h)} \times 2^{30}$

Example Calculation:

$1 \, \text{Gibit/h} = 2^{30} \, \text{b/h} = 1,073,741,824 \, \text{b/h}$

So, 1 Gibibit per hour is $2^{30}$ bits per hour, or 1,073,741,824 bits per hour in base 2.

Real-World Examples

1. Internet Speeds:

   • If you have a fiber-optic internet connection rated at 1 Gigabit per second (Gbps), this equates to $3600 \times 10^9$ bits per hour (since there are 3600 seconds in an hour).

2. Data Backup:

   • Suppose you are backing up data at a rate of 500 Gigabits per hour (Gb/h).
     • In base 10, this would be $500 \times 10^9 = 500,000,000,000$ bits per hour.
     • In base 2, if it were 500 Gibibits per hour (Gibit/h), this would be $500 \times 2^{30} = 536,870,912,000$ bits per hour.

3. Streaming Services:

   • If a streaming service transfers data at a rate of 2 Gigabits per hour for a high-definition movie, this would be:
     • $2 \times 10^9 = 2,000,000,000$ bits per hour in base 10.
     • $2 \times 2^{30} = 2,147,483,648$ bits per hour in base 2.

These examples help illustrate the scale and conversion process between Gigabits per hour and bits per hour using both base 10 and base 2 systems.