What is MSB and LSB with example?
MSB (Most Significant Bit) and LSB (Least Significant Bit) are terms used in binary notation to refer to the highest and lowest order bits, respectively.
In a binary number, each bit represents a power of 2 starting from the rightmost bit with a value of 2^0 and doubling for each subsequent bit (2^1, 2^2, 2^3, and so on). The MSB is the bit with the highest value, while the LSB is the bit with the lowest value.
Example:
Let's consider the binary number 1011. The leftmost bit (the first bit encountered from the left) is the MSB, and the rightmost bit (the last bit encountered from the left) is the LSB.
- In this example, the MSB is 1, and the weighting of the corresponding bit is 2^3 = 8.
- The LSB is 1, and the weighting of the corresponding bit is 2^0 = 1.
So, in the binary number 1011, the MSB holds the highest value (8), and the LSB holds the lowest value (1).
MSB stands for Most Significant Bit, and LSB stands for Least Significant Bit. They are terms commonly used in computing and digital systems to refer to the position or significance of bits within a binary number.
In a binary number, each digit is represented by a 0 or 1, called a bit. The leftmost bit is the most significant bit, and the rightmost bit is the least significant bit. The position of a bit determines its value within the number.
For example, consider the binary number 10110. In this case, the MSB is the leftmost bit, which is 1, and the LSB is the rightmost bit, which is 0.
Breaking down the bits:
- MSB: 1 (stands for 2^4 = 16 in decimal)
- 2nd bit: 0 (stands for 2^3 = 8 in decimal)
- 3rd bit: 1 (stands for 2^2 = 4 in decimal)
- 4th bit: 1 (stands for 2^1 = 2 in decimal)
- LSB: 0 (stands for 2^0 = 1 in decimal)
So, in this example, the MSB has the highest weightage or significance compared to other bits, and the LSB has the lowest weightage or significance.