Resistor color code calculator
Value, tolerance and temperature coefficient from the color bands, or the bands for a value, per the IEC 60062 color code.
Resistance
4.7 kΩ ±5%
- 1st digitYellow, 4
- 2nd digitViolet, 7
- MultiplierRed, ×100
- ToleranceGold, ±5%
- Nominal
- 4.7 kΩ
- Minimum
- 4.465 kΩ
- Maximum
- 4.935 kΩ
- Preferred series
- E12
Bands, read from the end without the gap
| Band | Color | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Yellow | Digit 4 |
| 2 | Violet | Digit 7 |
| 3 | Red | Multiplier × 100 |
| 4 | Gold | Tolerance ±5% (J) |
Method
How this is calculated
3 band: digit, digit, multiplier tolerance ±20% 4 band: digit, digit, multiplier, tolerance 5 band: digit, digit, digit, multiplier, tolerance 6 band: digit, digit, digit, multiplier, tolerance, temperature coefficient R = digits × 10^multiplier
- Digits
- Black 0, brown 1, red 2, orange 3, yellow 4, green 5, blue 6, violet 7, gray 8, white 9.
- Multiplier
- Pink × 0.001, silver × 0.01, gold × 0.1, then black × 1 up to white × 10⁹.
- Tolerance
- Brown 1% (F), red 2% (G), orange 0.05% (W), yellow 0.02% (P), green 0.5% (D), blue 0.25% (C), violet 0.1% (B), gray 0.01% (L), gold 5% (J), silver 10% (K), no band 20% (M). Yellow and gray tolerances date from the 2016 edition; older parts may use gray for 0.05%.
- Temperature coefficient
- Black 250, brown 100, red 50, orange 15, yellow 25, green 20, blue 10, violet 5, gray 1 ppm/K.
- Encoding
- Values are rounded to two significant figures (3 and 4 band) or three (5 and 6 band), with a warning when that changes the value.
Sources
- IEC 60062, Marking codes for resistors and capacitorsEdition 6.1, 2019-08-20 (edition 6.0:2016 consolidated with Amendment 1:2019)
- IEC 60063, Preferred number series for resistors and capacitorsEdition 3.0, 2015-03-27
FAQ
Questions
Brown, black, orange on a 4 band resistor (1, 0, × 1000), then the tolerance band: gold for 5%. On a 5 band resistor: brown, black, black, red, then tolerance.
Start at the end where the bands sit closer together; the tolerance band is usually set apart. Gold and silver never appear as the first band, so if you see one at an end, start from the other.
The temperature coefficient. Brown is 100 ppm/K, so the resistance moves by up to 0.01% per °C; yellow is 25 ppm/K and black 250 ppm/K.
Red, red, brown on a 4 band part (2, 2, × 10), then gold for 5%. 220 Ω is an E12 value.
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