Resistor Color Code Calculator
Resistor colour code calculator for 3, 4, 5 and 6 band resistors: colours to ohms with tolerance range, and ohms to colours, with the full colour table.
Colour bands to resistance
Resistance to colour bands
Colour code table
| Colour | Digit | Multiplier | Tolerance | Temp. coefficient |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Black | 0 | ×1 | — | — |
| Brown | 1 | ×10 | ±1% | 100 ppm/K |
| Red | 2 | ×100 | ±2% | 50 ppm/K |
| Orange | 3 | ×1,000 | — | 15 ppm/K |
| Yellow | 4 | ×10,000 | — | 25 ppm/K |
| Green | 5 | ×100,000 | ±0.5% | — |
| Blue | 6 | ×1,000,000 | ±0.25% | 10 ppm/K |
| Violet | 7 | ×10,000,000 | ±0.1% | 5 ppm/K |
| Grey | 8 | ×100,000,000 | ±0.05% | — |
| White | 9 | ×1,000,000,000 | — | — |
| Gold | — | ×0.1 | ±5% | — |
| Silver | — | ×0.01 | ±10% | — |
Tolerance and temperature coefficient colours are not used by every maker. Where a datasheet and this table disagree, the datasheet is right. A resistor with no tolerance band is ±20%.
Worked examples
- Yellow, Violet, Red, Gold = 4.7 kΩ ±5%
- Brown, Black, Orange, Red = 10 kΩ ±2%
- Red, Red, Black, Black, Brown = 220 Ω ±1%
- Green, Blue, Black, Red, Brown, Red = 56 kΩ ±1%, 50 ppm/K
Preferred values: E12 and E24
Resistors are made in preferred values rather than every number. E12 has 12 values per decade (about ±10%) and E24 has 24 (about ±5%). Multiply each by 1, 10, 100 and so on.
E12: 10, 12, 15, 18, 22, 27, 33, 39, 47, 56, 68, 82
E24: 10, 11, 12, 13, 15, 16, 18, 20, 22, 24, 27, 30, 33, 36, 39, 43, 47, 51, 56, 62, 68, 75, 82, 91
Using the code
Reading a resistor from its bands is a check, not a measurement. Colours fade, and brown, red and orange are easy to confuse under poor light. Where it matters, measure the resistance with the resistor out of the circuit.
Frequently asked questions
How do I read a 4 band resistor?
The first two bands are digits, the third is the multiplier and the fourth is the tolerance. Yellow, violet, red, gold is 4, 7, ×100 and ±5%, which is 4,700 Ω (4.7 kΩ) ±5%.
How do I know which end to start from?
The tolerance band (often gold or silver) is set slightly apart from the others, and it is read last. If no band is gold or silver, the band nearest an end is usually the first. When in doubt, measure the resistor with a meter.
What is the difference between 4, 5 and 6 band resistors?
A 5 band resistor has a third digit, so it can show more exact values (precision resistors). A 6 band resistor adds a temperature coefficient band, in ppm per kelvin. A 3 band resistor has no tolerance band and is ±20%.
Which colour means what?
Black 0, brown 1, red 2, orange 3, yellow 4, green 5, blue 6, violet 7, grey 8, white 9. As a multiplier gold is ×0.1 and silver is ×0.01. As a tolerance gold is ±5% and silver is ±10%.
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