Same bits. New value.
Move left and each position is worth twice as much. Move right and it is worth half as much; the lowest bit is discarded.
THE BINARY PLAYGROUND
Small shift.
Big difference.
What does << actually do? Change a number, move its bits, and watch the math happen.
Bit shift lab
UNSIGNED · 8 BITSTry it:
STARTING REGISTERClick any bit to flip it
Ready to explore
CURRENT VALUE
Every position has a value.
Add the highlighted place values to turn binary into decimal. A left shift moves each bit to a position worth twice as much.
45 = 00101101₂Eight slots. That’s it.
An unsigned 8-bit register holds 0–255. Bits that leave the edge are lost, and empty positions fill with zeros.
Predict the result.
Hint: there is no slot for 256.