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Least Significant Bit

(also LSB)

Least Significant Bit definition

The least significant bit is the least weighted bit in a binary number. Because binary numbers are so prevalent in computing and related fields, even the LSB can have an impact during the transmission of binary data.

The rightmost digit in a binary computation is the least significant digit, while the far leftmost is the most significant. The least significant bit is the rightmost bit because of positional notation. The least significant bit in a multi-bit binary number is the one that is located on the left. It has the lowest value of all the bits in that number. As one moves closer to the least significant bit in a multi-bit binary number, that bit becomes less and less important. The most important bit of binary data can be either 1 or 0, depending on what the other bits are. The LSB is sent first when transmitting binary data using the LSB first technique, followed by the following bits in increasing significance. Checksums and hash functions often make use of the least significant bit.

Benefits of Least Significant Bit

  • Simple to understand.
  • Easy to implement.
  • Embeds and extracts information fast.
  • Has a high hiding capacity.