Flip a bit — watch unsigned, signed (two's complement), hex, and octal update at once.
Five readings of row A
Bits have no intrinsic value — the interpretation does. The same pattern 1111 1111 reads as 255 in unsigned and −1 in two's complement (signed). Not a single bit changed; only the reading rule did. This tool makes the bit row the single source of truth: click a bit to flip it, and all four readouts update in the same visual beat.
The "Negate" operation demonstrates the two's complement rule −x = ~x + 1: first invert all bits, then add 1 from the LSB, rippling carry leftward until it hits a 0. The tool plays this in two distinct beats: all bits invert at once, then a cyan carry spark travels the row bit by bit. If the carry flips the sign bit (MSB) unexpectedly — causing signed overflow — that cell is framed and highlighted.
All 32-bit readouts use BigInt, bypassing JavaScript's 32-bit signed-integer trap (e.g. 1 << 31 becoming negative). Logical right shift (>>>) in 8/16-bit modes is computed via an unsigned mask. Glossary: two's complement, sign bit, MSB, arithmetic right shift (>>), logical right shift (>>>), sign extension, overflow, carry ripple.
Quick guide
Compact below-tool notes that help first-run users and repeated visitors move faster without changing the main interface.
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How to use
Examples
FAQ
Bits have no inherent value — the reading rule does. Unsigned treats all eight 1s as pure binary = 255. Two's complement (signed) treats the MSB as a sign bit, making 1111 1111 equal −1. Not a single bit changed; only the interpretation did.
Two's complement defines negation as bitwise NOT then add 1. Take 5 (0000 0101): invert to get 1111 1010, add 1 to get 1111 1011, which is −5. The tool plays both beats — invert, then carry ripple — so −x = ~x + 1 becomes a visible action.
Adding 1 to 0111 1111 carries all the way into the sign bit, producing 1000 0000. Unsigned reads 128, but signed sees a 1 in the MSB and reads −128. The tool frames the flipped bit as the overflow culprit.
Identical for positive numbers; they diverge for negatives. Arithmetic shift fills the vacated high bits with the sign bit (preserving the sign); logical shift fills with 0s. Right-shifting 1111 0000 by 1: arithmetic → 1111 1000 (−8), logical → 0111 1000 (120). The tool shows both rows in parallel.
Number Base Converter is about conversion — give it a value, get it in different bases. Binary Bit Visualizer is about interpretation and operations — bits are the input, and you flip them, negate them, shift them, and run bitwise ops on them, watching all four readings update in the same instant.