Effect of Binary Shifts
A binary shift can significantly change a number's value. Shifting to the left (<<) effectively multiplies the number by 2 for each shift, while shifting to the right (>>) divides the number by 2, discarding any fractions.
Understanding Binary Shifts
Binary shifts are operations that move the bits in a binary number left or right. Understanding binary shifts is crucial in computer science for manipulating data and altering the value of numbers efficiently.
Performing Binary Shifts
To carry out a binary shift, each bit is moved one place to the left or right. For left shifts, a 0 is brought in at the rightmost position, while for right shifts, the leftmost bit is discarded, and a 0 is added at the leftmost position.
Example:
Left shift of 1011 (11 in denary): 1011 << 1 = 0110 (6 in denary)
Right shift of 1011 (11 in denary): 1011 >> 1 = 0101 (5 in denary)
Significant Bits in Binary Shifts
In binary shifts, understanding the 'most significant bit' (MSB) and 'least significant bit' (LSB) is important:
- Most Significant Bit (MSB): The leftmost bit in the binary number, representing the highest value.
- Least Significant Bit (LSB): The rightmost bit in the binary number, representing the lowest value.
In a left shift, bits move away from the LSB and towards the MSB. In a right shift, the opposite occurs.
Practice Exercise
Question: Perform a left and a right binary shift on the number 1101.
Answer: Left shift: 1101 << 1 = 1010. Right shift: 1101 >> 1 = 0110.