How many cycles per second does a gigahertz (GHz) equal?

A gigahertz (GHz) is a unit of frequency that equals one billion cycles per second. This is derived from the metric prefix "giga," which denotes a factor of (10^9) or one billion. When discussing frequency in the context of computer processors and telecommunications, gigahertz is commonly used to describe the clock speed, which indicates how many cycles a processor can execute in one second. Therefore, understanding that a gigahertz represents one billion cycles per second is essential for grasping the performance capabilities of electronic systems.