Stephen Smith
Use this Resistor Color Code Calculator tool to calculate the resistance value, tolerance, and temperature coefficient of resistors based on their color bands. Select the number of bands, choose the colors, and click "Calculate" to see the results.
Select colors to calculate
Resistor Color Code Table
| 1st Digit | 2nd Digit | 3rd Digit | Multiplier | Tolerance | Temp. Coeff. | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Black | 0 | 0 | 0 | x 100 | 250 (U) | |
| Brown | 1 | 1 | 1 | x 101 | ±1% | 100 (S) |
| Red | 2 | 2 | 2 | x 102 | ±2% | 50 (R) |
| Orange | 3 | 3 | 3 | x 103 | ±3% | 15 (P) |
| Yellow | 4 | 4 | 4 | x 104 | ±4% | 25 (Q) |
| Green | 5 | 5 | 5 | x 105 | ±0.5% | 20 (Z) |
| Blue | 6 | 6 | 6 | x 106 | ±0.25% | 10 (Z) |
| Violet | 7 | 7 | 7 | x 107 | ±0.1% | 5 (M) |
| Grey | 8 | 8 | 8 | x 108 | ±0.05% | 1 (K) |
| White | 9 | 9 | 9 | x 109 | ||
| Gold | — | — | — | x 10-1 | ±5% | |
| Silver | — | — | — | x 10-2 | ±10% |
How to Read Resistor Colour Code?
The color code in any resistor is read as, in general, a resistor has four bands in which the first two bands represent the value of the resistance and the third band represent the resistance multiplier whereas, the fourth and the last band represent the tolerance of the resistance. For reading any resistance we hold the resistor in such a way that its tolerance band is to our right. generally, the tolerance is silver and gold in colour and it is at a distance from the other band.
Now starting from our left, mark all the colors of the bands and write them down in sequence. Then, use the table given above to see which digits they represent.
The third band is the multiplier band and the colour represents the 10 multipliers. Such as if the third band is green then its value is 105.
Example of Resistor Colour Coding
The resistor color coding is used to determine the value of the resistance of the electrical resistor. This can be understood using the example discussed below as, The image added below shows resistance and using resistor colour coding determines its resistance value.
The band colors for the resistor color code in the order:
Band colours in order RED ORANGE ORANGE GOLD
Using the table the digit representation is as 2 2 3 with multiplier 103 and the tolerance ±5%
Thus, the value of the resistance is, 23×103 Ω ± 5 %
i.e. the value of the resistance is, 23000 Ω ± 5 %
The value of the given resistance is:
23000 Ω ± 5 %. The tolerance of the resistor can be calculated as follows:
Tolerance = Value of Resistor × Value of Tolerance Band
= 23000 Ω ⨯ 5 % = 1150 Ω
This means that the 23000 Ω resistor with a tolerance value of 1150 Ω could range from the actual value as much as 24150 Ω to as little as 22850 Ω.
