Petabytes (PB) to Bytes (B) Converter
Convert petabytes to bytes.
1 PB = 1,000,000,000,000,000 B
How to convert PB to Bytes (B)
File sizes here use the decimal (SI) system, the same one drive makers and network providers use. In that system 1 Petabyte is 1015 bytes and 1 Byte is 100 bytes. Divide one by the other and you get the ratio between the two units: 1015 ÷ 100 = 1015.
Petabyte is the bigger unit, so you multiply. Every PB holds 1015 B, which means the decimal point moves 15 places to the right.
On the ladder (B → KB → MB → GB → TB → PB → EB → ZB → YB → RB → QB) these two are 5 steps apart. Every step is a factor of 1,000, so 5 steps means 1,000 multiplied by itself 5 times, which is 1015.
The formula
Bytes (B) = PB × 10151 PB = 1 × 1015 B1015 means 1 followed by 15 zeros
Worked example 1: Converting 2 PB
2 PB × 1015 = 2 × 1015 BThe decimal point moves 15 places to the right.
2 PB is the kind of space a large storage cluster in a data centre can hold.
Worked example 2: Converting 0.5 PB
0.5 PB × 1015 = 500,000,000,000,000 BThe decimal point moves 15 places to the right.
Worked example 3: Converting 12.75 PB
12.75 PB × 1015 = 1.275 × 1016 BThe decimal point moves 15 places to the right.
Need the other direction? Open the Bytes (B) to PB converter.
PB to Bytes (B) examples
2 PB is the kind of space a large storage cluster in a data centre can hold. In bytes that is 2 × 1015 B.
| PB | B |
|---|---|
| 1 PB | 1 × 1015 B |
| 2.5 PB | 2.5 × 1015 B |
| 10 PB | 1 × 1016 B |
| 50 PB | 5 × 1016 B |
| 100 PB | 1 × 1017 B |
| 500 PB | 5 × 1017 B |
| 1,000 PB | 1 × 1018 B |
Where PB to Bytes (B) comes up
A petabyte is 1,000 terabytes, or a million gigabytes. Petabytes belong to data centres, research archives, big analytics warehouses and the storage side of large cloud services.
A byte is eight bits, enough to store one character of plain English text. Bytes show up whenever you need the exact number: file properties, HTTP headers, memory buffers, database column limits and the counts programs print in logs.
Bytes are the base unit, so this gives the exact count that programs, APIs and file properties report.
Going from petabytes down to bytes always gives a bigger number, because the unit you land on is smaller. It is the usual direction when a limit or a form asks for a smaller unit than the one you have in mind.
PB to Bytes (B) FAQ
How many bytes are in 1 petabyte?
There are 1015 bytes in 1 petabyte, so 1 PB = 1015 B.
Is PB to B decimal or binary?
This page is decimal (SI), where 1 KB = 1,000 B. Operating systems often count in powers of 1,024 and still print KB, MB or GB, when they really mean KiB, MiB and GiB. At PB the two systems differ by about 12.6%.
How do I convert B to PB?
Go the other way: divide by 1015, which moves the decimal point 15 places to the left. The swap button on the converter does it for you.