What determines the increase in memory size from kilobytes to megabytes?

The increase in memory size from kilobytes to megabytes is based on the binary system used in computing. In this system, memory is measured in powers of 2. Specifically, 1 megabyte is defined as 1024 kilobytes.

This is rooted in the binary nature of computers, where each level of memory size is a multiple of 2, and 1024 (which is 2 raised to the power of 10) is the value that correlates to the transition from kilobytes to megabytes. Therefore, the correct measure for the increase from kilobytes to megabytes is 1024, making it clear that the correct answer is based on this fundamental understanding of how computer memory scales.

The other options do not accurately reflect the standard definition of memory size increase in the context of binary computation, where the correct progression is specified as 1024 and not a base-10 or arbitrary number such as 1000, 2048, or 500.