Bitwise Left Shift Calculator Python

Bitwise Left Shift Operation:

\[ \text{Shifted} = \text{num} \ll \text{bits} \]

Shifted Result:

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1. What is Bitwise Left Shift?

The bitwise left shift operation moves all bits in a number to the left by a specified number of positions. This is equivalent to multiplying the number by 2 raised to the power of the shift amount.

2. How Does Left Shift Work?

The left shift operation follows this formula:

\[ \text{result} = \text{number} \times 2^{\text{shift\_amount}} \]

Example: 5 << 2 = 20

5 in binary: 0101
Shifted left by 2: 010100 (which is 20 in decimal)

3. Python Left Shift Operator

Syntax: In Python, the left shift operator is represented by <<.

Example Code:

num = 5
bits = 2
result = num << bits  # Returns 20

4. Using the Calculator

Tips: Enter any integer number and the number of bits to shift. The calculator will show the result in decimal, binary, and hexadecimal formats.

5. Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Q1: What happens to bits shifted past the leftmost position?
A: They are discarded. Python integers have arbitrary precision, so the number will grow to accommodate the shift.

Q2: Is left shift equivalent to multiplication by 2?
A: Yes, for each bit shifted, the number is multiplied by 2 (when no bits are lost).

Q3: Can I shift negative numbers?
A: Yes, but the sign is preserved. The left shift operation works on the two's complement representation.

Q4: What's the difference between arithmetic and logical left shift?
A: In Python, they're the same. Some languages differentiate, but Python's << performs arithmetic shift.

Q5: Is there a limit to how many bits I can shift?
A: In theory, no, but extremely large shifts will consume significant memory.