Summary

The Excel BITRSHIFT function shifts a number by the specified number of bits, effectively halving or doubling the number a specified number of times.

Purpose 

Returns a number shifted right by some number of bits

Return value 

Decimal Number

Syntax

=BITRSHIFT(number,shift_amount)
  • number - The number to be bit shifted.
  • shift_amount - The amount of bits to shift to the right, if negative shifts bits to the left instead.

How to use 

Integer underflow results in loss of the least significant bits. For example, if the number 3 is shifted right by one, then the right-most binary bit is truncated and lost. For any bit shift that results in integer overflow, where the result is larger than 2^48 -1, the function returns the #NUM! error.

How It Works

The shift_amount can either be positive or negative. If a negative number is provided, the bits are shifted to the left instead.

BITRSHIFT Internal Binary Representation

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Dave Bruns

Hi - I'm Dave Bruns, and I run Exceljet with my wife, Lisa. Our goal is to help you work faster in Excel. We create short videos, and clear examples of formulas, functions, pivot tables, conditional formatting, and charts.