How to Read Resistor Color Codes
Resistor color codes are markings used to indicate the resistance value, tolerance, and sometimes reliability or failure rate. The number of bands on a resistor varies from 3 to 6.
4-Band Resistor
The 4-band color code is the most common variation. These resistors have two bands for the resistance value, one multiplier and one tolerance band.
- Band 1 & 2: Significant digits of the resistance value.
- Band 3: Decimal multiplier (number of zeros).
- Band 4: Tolerance (accuracy).
5-Band Resistor
5-band resistors are used for higher precision (1% tolerance or better). They allocate an extra band for a third significant digit.
| Color | Digit | Multiplier | Tolerance |
|---|---|---|---|
| Black | 0 | 1 | - |
| Brown | 1 | 10 | ±1% |
| Red | 2 | 100 | ±2% |
| Orange | 3 | 1k | - |
| Yellow | 4 | 10k | - |
| Green | 5 | 100k | ±0.5% |
| Blue | 6 | 1M | ±0.25% |
| Violet | 7 | 10M | ±0.1% |
| Grey | 8 | - | ±0.05% |
| White | 9 | - | - |
| Gold | - | 0.1 | ±5% |
| Silver | - | 0.01 | ±10% |