Resistor Color Code Calculator
Pick the colour of each band and read the resistance, tolerance and acceptable range. Supports 4, 5 and 6-band resistors.
4.7 kΩ
±5%
Bands
4-band resistors carry two significant digits, 5 and 6-band carry three. The sixth band is a temperature coefficient.
Value
Resistance:4.7 kΩ
Exact value:4,700 Ω
Tolerance:±5%
Acceptable range:4.465 kΩ – 4.935 kΩ
A resistor is in spec anywhere inside the range. A measured value that differs from the printed one is normal, not a fault.
Colour Code Chart
What each colour means depends on which band it sits in.
| Colour | Digit | Multiplier | Tolerance | Temp. coeff. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Black | 0 | ×1 | — | 250 ppm/K |
| 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% | 20 ppm/K |
| 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% | 1 ppm/K |
| White | 9 | ×1,000,000,000 | — | — |
| Gold | — | ×0.1 | ±5% | — |
| Silver | — | ×0.01 | ±10% | — |
| None | — | — | ±20% | — |
Frequently Asked Questions
- How do you read resistor color bands?
- Read the bands from the end that has them grouped most closely together. On a 4-band resistor the first two bands are significant digits, the third is a multiplier and the fourth is tolerance. On 5 and 6-band resistors the first three bands are digits, then the multiplier, then tolerance, and on a 6-band part a final band gives the temperature coefficient.
- Which end of the resistor do I start from?
- Start from the end where the bands sit closest to the lead. The tolerance band is usually separated by a wider gap, and is often gold or silver, neither of which is used for the first digit. If you read a resistor backwards you will usually get an implausible value, which is a good clue to flip it around.
- What do gold and silver bands mean?
- In the multiplier position gold means multiply by 0.1 and silver by 0.01, which is how resistors below 10 ohms are marked. In the tolerance position gold means plus or minus 5 percent and silver plus or minus 10 percent. A resistor with no tolerance band at all is plus or minus 20 percent.
- Why does my meter read a different value than the bands?
- Tolerance. A 4700 ohm resistor with a gold band is in spec anywhere between 4465 and 4935 ohms, so a meter reading of 4.72k is perfectly normal. Measurement is also affected by the resistor still being in circuit, where other components in parallel will pull the reading down.
- What is the sixth band on a resistor?
- The temperature coefficient, in parts per million per kelvin. It describes how much the resistance shifts as the part heats up. Brown is 100 ppm/K and red is 50 ppm/K, which are the most common. It only matters in precision circuits where drift with temperature would affect the result.
- Why are 5-band resistors used instead of 4-band?
- A third significant digit allows tighter, more specific values, so 5-band parts are normally the precision ones at 1 percent or better. A 4-band resistor can only express two digits, which is enough for the 5 and 10 percent E12 and E24 series used in general purpose circuits.